Playing in Traffic

All over the Lower Mainland, and perhaps all over Canada, today was a day for police, fire and ambulance to work together for Haiti. Some firefighters came up with the idea and invited other emergency workers to help raise money for Haiti. I stood on the westbound white line on South Fraser Way, in the middle of Saturday traffic, to raise money for earthquake relief. (Images of five year old kids in Paraguay selling fruit and washing windshields flashed through my mind.) The people of Abbotsford are amazingly generous, emptying ashtrays full of change and throwing in 5’s, 10’s and 20’s as they drove past.
As I was standing there, trying hard not to get hit by truck mirrors as they squeezed past, I thought about what the previous 11 days would have been like if I lived and worked in Haiti. For the last 264 hours, I would have worked every waking moment to help those who were still alive. After each exhausting shift, I would have been sent home to sleep for a few hours and then get called back to work, hoping that my family would be okay without me, hoping that more survivors would be found, and hoping for a hospital to bring them to.
On my run this morning, I thought about survivors who have been pulled out of buildings, one as recently as today. It would be terrifying to be trapped day after day, unable to get out, unable to eat or drink, unable to move to relieve one’s self, hoping and praying for rescue. I thought of those who were not rescued but had survived the quake, unable to get out, unable to eat, unable to move, hoping and praying for rescue. Slowly dying alone.
Back to the generosity of people, the bucket I was holding probably had over $500 dollars in it from about an hour of standing on the street. Hopefully the generosity does not end there, I hope that people give to help rebuild and develop Haiti. New Orleans is still rebuilding from Katrina even though Katrina happened over four years ago in the wealthiest nation on earth. Haiti happened in the poorest country in the west – it will take years to rebuild – will our generosity continue? Or will it fade from the news and be forgotten again? Will I remember to pray and give?

New Year's and Water

If you know me at all, or have read my blog - you know that I run and I like it. Another thing that I am passionate about, is helping kids escape poverty. New Years, while I've never actually done it, is a time for resolutions.  (Perhaps I should try one sometime and risk ruining my perfect record of not breaking any.) If you resolved to “get fit” or “lose weight” in 2010, have I got a deal for you? Or maybe in 2010 you would like to do something good for someone less fortunate than yourself. As Home Depot likes to say – “You can do it, we can help.”
Last year I ran the “Run for Water,” a fund raiser for water supply in Ethiopia. Here in Abbotsford $80000 was raised to provide water to (I believe) three villages. This enables kids to go to school instead of walking up to 20 km to fetch water. (Next time I run 20k maybe I’ll think of doing half of that with a bucket of water on my head.) Now, some of these kids no longer face the daily danger of attack and rape, just to bring water for their families. I think that’s pretty cool.
If you’re interested in running or helping out as volunteer, google “Run for Water” Abbotsford. There are 5k & 10k runs and a half-marathon on May 30. Run for Water provides programs to get you in shape for the run or walk, you can start as late as Easter for the 5k family Run/Walk. But hey, this is about New Years and having a purpose to help you reach your goal – so why wait until Easter to start when you have time to do a half-marathon?

What do you give the person who has everything?

Shortly before Christmas, a lady walked up to me in a store and asked, “What would a guy want for Christmas?” We were in the clothing section, she was looking at ties, and I was looking at running shirts. You can guess that I wasn’t much help. (When you read “clothing section”, you knew that I was useless.)
Each Christmas I find a challenge that I’m not so good at. What do you get someone who has everything? Or, how well do I know the person I am shopping for to be able to figure out what she doesn’t need, but would really like? As I said, I’m not so good at this one.
This got me to thinking about the real Christmas. John’s gospel gives us a really short Christmas story:
“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted.” (3:16-17 MSG)
Our Father knew us so well that he gave us exactly what we needed even though we would have never have asked for it because we were too blind to see our need. You really can’t top that for giving.
What do I give back to him? My tithe? Sunday morning? (But not afternoon because that’s for soccer.) One night a week for Life Group?
After laying out all that God has done for us, Paul writes, “So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.” Romans 12:1 MSG
I imagine that one of the great things about being God is that you don’t need anything, ever. He didn’t create me out of a need to have a submissive subject. He created me to be a recipient of his love. In return, I give him myself, something he doesn’t need, but would really like to have (go back to the quote from John to see how badly he wants me).

Hard to Start

Some days it is hard to put on shorts and runners and head out the door. Today I wanted to run 15K, well, actually, my schedule told me to run it. I didn’t feel like heading out the door. I got up late because I have to work tonight, had a couple of large glasses of water to hydrate, two espressos because coffee is supposed to be good for endurance and Honey Nut Cheerios for carbohydrates, my typical pre-run breakfast. Eventually I left the comfort of home and started towards Sumas Prairie and the aroma of dairy farms. Every 3K I drink 125 ml of either water or Gatorade to keep my fluid and carb levels up – today I was thirsty long before 3K, which I shouldn’t have been since the temperature is only about 4 C and I wasn’t sweating yet.
As I was running I thought of my friend with cancer, today is his day for the big chemo treatment. So big that he spends a night in hospital to recover from it. So bad that they give him a whole bunch of IV fluid before and after treatment to combat dehydration. I’m sure it’s hard for him to start that too. I’m guessing he probably didn’t want to get out of bed and leave the house this morning. He probably didn’t like having another needle in his arm knowing that the chemicals that are supposed to make him well will make him sick before he gets better. I prayed for his nurse to be able to find a healthy vein and hit it first try. I prayed for the chemicals to do their work and kill any cancer that is in his system. I prayed for the nausea not to be too bad.
I also wondered about what things I am reluctant to start that would be good for me. My running helps my heart and body. However, what am I doing for my mind and spirit? In September, I decided to start fasting once a month – September 3o, October 30 and November 29 because I kept putting it off. This month I planned ahead – I didn’t want to fast on New Years eve! I wonder though, what else could I add to my disciplines of running and fasting, that would make me a healthier person?
When I got home, I found my second glass of water right where I left it – beside the sink. I was going to drink it while I mixed my Gatorade and obviously forgot. The good news about it – I didn’t need to find a blackberry bush out on the prairie to hide behind and relieve myself.

Runners and Wheat

A couple of years ago a patient’s husband asked me if I was a runner. As I was at work, wearing a uniform, he had nothing to go on other than that he thought I looked like a runner. I hedged my answer – at the time I ran to be in shape for soccer and it is supposed to be good for me. As I train for a marathon, I think that I am coming closer to being able to answer that “yes” I am a runner as I “get” more of these statements than I did a few months ago.
You know you're a runner when...

• You can say "Fartlek" without laughing.
• You pass someone running in the rain and smile rather than shoot them the evil look you would have a few weeks/months earlier.
• You know what TM, OHR, and C25K means. (I had to look all of these up as I never was a couch potato)
• You look forward to sweating when most are either watching TV or asleep.
• You start measuring distances in the car and think, "I could run that." (Home to Rachel’s volleyball game at Fraser Heights School, Surrey)
• "The weather is beautiful today. The stars looked gorgeous during my run." (My former neighbour just posted ‘shooting stars’ in China on FB)
• You refuse to wear your "running shoes" unless you are actually going for a RUN.
• You know how many miles are in a 5k, 10k, HM & Marathon
• You understand the importance of wearing running-specific socks
• You start researching local 5k, 10k races in your area
• You know how fast you can run back to back miles
• You hop on the bathroom scales, think "too low", and force down 4 glasses of water
• You mistake Bodyglide for your deodorant and then spend the rest of the day wondering why your armpits aren't chafing
• You are up as early on the weekend as you are during the week
• You arrive home after going long. There's a house full of guests. You excuse yourself, announcing that you just done your weekly LSD and feel a bit woozy.
• Your family has stopped asking you about your running for fear of your long, detailed answer
• On a road trip, you look out the windows, thinking "now that would be a good running course”

This morning I read the parable of the Wheat and Weeds (Matthew 13). The Son of Man sows good seed, only to be followed by the devil sowing weeds in the same field. The weeds are left to grow with the wheat until harvest time. This got me to wondering, since even us non-farmers can tell the difference between wheat and weeds, can people I meet tell that I am “wheat”, that I am righteous and not a weed, doing evil. In the same way as this person thought that I must be a runner, can people observe me for a while tell that I am a follower of Jesus.

Its easier than...

So this is my first blog, I'm a runner trying to get in shape for my first marathon and I thought some of my thoughts might be useful to others. If not, at least the process of recording them will help me.
I titled this as "It's esier than..." because when I'm running and it becomes hard or I don't feel like it, I always think of people with cancer and remind myself that whatever challenge I voluntarily have in running, is easier than having cancer.
Through work I have had the privilege of connecting with Cops for Cancer and also have a friend who did the Ride2Survive last June. Cops for Cancer do ten day bike rides through different parts of BC to raise funds and awareness for childhood cancers. Ride2Survive is a one day, 400 km ride from Kelowna to Delta. In five years they have raised $900 000 for cancer. My friend raised money to send kids with cancer to summer camp, pretty cool. From both of these events I have heard that no matter how hard the day in the saddle is, no matter how bad the head wind and rain, it's easier than battling cancer. So when I run and don't feel like it or think that it's too hard - I remember that its easier than fighting cancer.
My first marathon is 128 days away. I am in week 6 of 24 of training. I have a friend who is in week 6 of 24 of chemo - pretty good inspiration for me to go downstairs and put on my runners. When things are hard or I'm feeling lazy, I remember him and pray for his healing.