Someone Faster, Someone Slower

When my college bestie Tricia of Seriously Smitten wrote on facebook about a running experience she had a couple days ago, it moved me to tears and I begged her to let me share it with my readers: “As my feet hit the pavement, I see a woman up ahead who I can see is clearly walking with all her strength and I think, Try to catch up to her. As I quickly start to catch up I think, OK let’s pass her. As I begin to do that I think, Maybe I can lap her. As I do this and am feeling accomplished in doing so. I begin to feel bad that I found such joy in “beating” this woman who is working hard.

“Another lady shows up. You can tell she is in good shape physically fit and I see very quickly she is fast. Just then all my you can do this starts to fly out the window, and I begin the Well, she doesn’t have 3 kids, life hasn’t thrown her some hard curve balls – my usual excuses put onto her – and strangely I stop those thoughts. I find myself cheering fast girl on. You can do it. Whatever your goal is, you can reach it.

“Then I find myself cheering slow lady on. You can do it. You can reach your goal. You go, girl! Then I find myself saying YOU can do it you can reach your goal. As fast girl laps me she has slowed a bit – just enough that I think Maybe, just maybe, if I turn my swift walk into a run I can keep up. Maybe, not completly, but close.

“So my walk swiftens, turns to a jog, then a run and a little quicker run, and I am close – just behind her using her speed to pull me into my homestretch. At that moment I think There will always be someone faster and someone slower than me, but the point is that I do my best knowing I am NOT my own I was bought with a price and worth fighting for.

“All I could hear was ‘Oooh, Jesus. Oooh Jesus alive in ME!’ Jesus is Alive in me. I need to live like that. My run was hard, feeling out of breath, legs soar and tired, but my heart was soaring. Jesus alive in me. This journey is going to be hard not going to reach my goals over night but with Jesus by my side I can do it, I will do it. As I finshed my cool down lap I gave it all I had and with tears streaming I sang out ‘Ooohh Jesus, oooohh Jesus alive in me!’

“I thanked fast girl as I left and told her, ‘You were the encouragment I needed today. Thank You!’ She looked at me a little funny and said, ‘You’re welcome.’ That, my friends, is the point: Encourage one another and live knowing that Jesus is Alive in YOU. And P.S. The sunshine and fresh air weren’t to shabby either.”

Tricia Ball is the owner of Seriously Smitten Keepsakes. She makes beautiful hand-stamped heirloom jewelry for customers all over America. I adore Tricia and her heart for loving her Creator, her family, and her friends. She lives in Oregon with her husband and three little warrior boys.