"Faith Makes Things Possible, Not Easy"

Good Morning Everyone!

I am in a great mood today because it was the first time that I ran 9 miles since training for my half-marathon in April!  Our team ran around Creve Coeur Lake, which is about 20 minutes from my house.  Not only was this the first time that I ran 9 miles in a while, it was also the first time I ran with my Team In Training group who is raising money to fund cancer research.  I joined this team for a couple of reasons.  One, I wanted to raise money for a cause since it is a lot easier to train if you are doing it for a good purpose.  Two, I wanted to meet new people since I am working on making more friends (hence, the blog post yesterday!).  Three, and probably the most important, I am proud to run in memory of Deb Olsen, who loved to run and was sadly taken from us in June due to cancer.  Team in Training (or TNT for short) raises money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to help fund cancer research, and helps athletes train for events like marathons and triathlons.  Everyone on the team runs in honor or in memory of someone they know who has suffered from cancer.  The stories I hear everyday are unbelievable, and keep me motivated to keep fundraising and running.

This morning, I met a guy named Chris, who has lived in the St. Louis area his whole life.  He caught up to me and asked if he could run along side me.  As we ran we had some small talk about where we were from, the competitions we have done, what our significant others do, etc.  Coming up on the 9 mile mark, Chris finally broke the ice and asked why I was running for TNT.  I told him all about Deb, the Olsens, and having the challenge of running a full marathon.  Then I asked him why he is running.  He slowed down a little, put his head down, and took a long deep breath.  At first I thought he was just tired from running and talking, but then I realized that he was fighting back tears.  After about a minute of preparation, he told me that his 4-year-old son's friend in preschool was diagnosed with Leukemia in November of last year.  4-years-old.  He is going through chemotherapy now and will be done with treatment by the time we run the marathon in October.  After he told me the story, we ran in silence for about five minutes.  It was like a little moment of silence for the people we were running for, for all the people who suffer from cancer, and to remember why we were training.

Chris and I said our good-byes and see-you-next-weeks, and went back to our lives.  I was feeling pretty good about the fact that I had just ran 9 miles.  Anybody driving past me on the road was probably laughing at me because I was singing at the top of my lungs and smiling like a fool.  I didn't care, I felt great!

I was almost home when I saw my inspiration for today.  On a sign of a little bitty church there was a phrase saying "Faith makes things possible, not easy."  I thought this was a perfect way to summarize a lot of things in life.  Right now, I have faith that I can train hard and run this marathon in October.  I have faith that I will meet new friends throughout this journey.  I have faith that Garrett will get through school.  And, I have faith that I will find a job (even though it seems like it's taking FOREVER).  Absolutely none of these things that I have faith in are easy.  Also, these things I have faith in are not even close to the faith other people need to have.  Chris has faith that little Avery will survive cancer.  There are children who are starving that have faith they will have a meal soon. Having faith in all of these things means that we trust that things will turn out, and that it is out of our control.  God has other plans for the outcome sometimes, but that is where having faith and trust will get you through.

My point here is that sometimes people get confused with faith and ease.  Just because you believe in a higher power, and have faith in God (whatever God you believe in), doesn't mean that your life will be carefree and easy.  Having faith gets you through the hard stuff.  Having faith reminds you of endless possibilities, and how hard we have to work to get there.  Without faith, there is nothing to look forward to, nothing to strive for, nothing to believe, and really nothing to live for.

My message to you today is to have faith!  If you are going through a hard time at the moment, I am so sorry that you are suffering.  I ask you especially to have faith that things will get better.  If you are the happiest you have ever been in your whole life, I ask you to have faith that it was a hard road to get there, and although you are proud, you did not do it alone.  In the middle people (that's me!), have faith in yourself, in others, and in love.

Without faith, we are nothing.

Thanks for visiting!  If you would like to donate to my fundraising page, please visit http://pages.teamintraining.org/gat/rnrstlou11/kfuchskjza .  I am only about 20% of the way there, so every little bit counts.

Make sure to comment on the page and let me know what you think!

Have a blessed day :)
Kelli