I am leaving on a jet plane… To Leuven, Belgium for the
month of July! It is hard to believe that the day has already arrived, while at
the same time I feel as though I have been waiting a long time! I am traveling
with 10 track athletes, just one other distance runner, with a group called
Athlete’s in Action. I truly feel like it is a team that God created just for
me! My roommate, Jamie Cheever, traveled to Europe last year and met this group
and told me about them. She shared that they were a bunch of Christian track
athlete’s that were eager to use their sport as an act of worship, to grow in
their faith, and eager to share their faith with others. I don’t know if I am
supposed to make agreements with God, but when I heard about it I told God that
if I was healthy in March, I would commit to the trip. Through prayer, and as
March came along, I peacefully and enthusiastically committed! There is a lot
of ambiguity in my life, but going on this trip is one month of my life that I
have a great peace about.
I am not entirely sure what my daily life will look like,
but I plan to keep my Blog updated as well as my twitter feed. I do know that I
will get to race in a variety of races throughout Belgium. There is a race
circuit called Flander’s Cup; I think of it like Mario Cart where you choose
your circuitJ
Many runners travel to Europe seeking opportunities to compete and run fast
times. It reminds me that the true definition of competition is “to seek
together.” I look forward to seeking together with my competitors to be the
best athletes we can be in order to run our fastest. I will be running mainly
1500s. I wish I could race more 5Ks, but I am so grateful for any opportunity
to race. I feel like my attitude about racing is one of gratitude and
excitement, which is something slightly new. I know I will be nervous, and am
already a little, but I feel like I have nothing to lose but to simply enjoy
the opportunity to pour my heart out in a competition and thank God for the
gift he entrusted me. One of my prayers for this year has been to relearn how
to love this sport no matter how I perform, and I truly do feel like God has
transformed my attitude! Here are the races I will be doing:
July 6- Oordegem –
1500
July 10- Liege – 1500
July 13-Heusden, KBC-
1500
July 14- Kortrijk
-800
July 27- Ninove – 5K
Throughout this trip I am praying that I would constantly
rely on God and that he would show up in a big way. I am praying that no matter
what the racing results or any other challenges that may come, that I would
fall more in love with Jesus and entrust more of my life to him. I am of course
anxious about the unknown, but my main emotion is one of gratitude for this
amazing opportunity to worship God in this unique way, for this amazing
opportunity to compete, and for a chance to meet some amazing people on my team
and that will also be out there racing (amazing seems to be my adjective of
choice)! I would love your prayers! I will keep you all updated!
“I waited patiently for the Lord;
He turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
Out of the mud and mire
He set my feet upon a rock
And gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth,
A hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
And put their trust in him.
Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
Who does not look to the proud,
To those who turn aside to false gods.” Psalm 40:1-4
