The Power of a Little Support and Encouragement
Well, I’m hobbling around like a granny today (no offense grandma) with all my sore muscles, but I’m a really happy hobbling grandma. I did it! I did the half-marathon and I LOVED IT!!!! The whole event was an incredible experience with lots of lessons learned, but I’ll just share the highlights with you.
First of all, I got to RUN most of it! I decided to buy a knee brace on my drive up to Sacramento- and it was a miracle worker!!!! I put that sucker on, and vwalaa – I could run with no pain whatsoever in my knee. I was really shocked. I really didn’t have much faith that a little band of elastic material around my knee would enable me to run, but it totally did! And as I ran, God began to speak to me through that little band…
All I needed was a little support for me knee. That’s it… and I could RUN. I could do it! It didn’t take much- just a little support. And the same is true for the children in D.R. Congo. They too just need a little support. And they can do it! They can make it in life. They can finish school. They can become Christian leaders in their country to help bring God’s hope and restoration. A little support goes a long way. One malaria shot will go a long way. One text book will go a long way. One sponsorship will go a long way. And I love that this is what ELI is about. We’re about EMPOWERING people to run the race set before them. They don’t need us to do it for them. They can do it- they just need a little support. I’m so excited to be part of a group helping to provide that support. Helping to provide those knee braces so that these kids can RUN!
I also learned about the power of encouragement. This was a trail run, so that meant we were running along a trail way back in the woods and meadows, away from all the crowds. We didn’t have people cheering us on as we ran because they couldn’t get back there. Except for one lady. She was standing along the trail, about 6 miles in. And she was just there to encourage us. As I ran by, she yelled out enthusiastically, “Keep going! You’re doing great!” And it was so powerful. Those few words gave me such a boost of energy and I felt like I could conquer the world. Her words lingered in my head throughout the rest of the race – “Keep going.” And so I did; I kept going.
And now I am so excited to bring that same message of encouragement to the children of D.R. Congo! I so badly want to hug each of them, look them in the eyes, and say, “Keep going! You’re doing great!” I want to say it to the teachers who sacrifice every day to love and teach these 500 children. I want to say it to the Congolese ELI staff that lay down their lives every day to bring God’s hope to this country. They too are running this race in the back trails of the world where no one sees them; where no one comes along side them. But I am so excited to journey into those forgotten trails this June to remind them that they have not been forgotten. They DO matter, and they CAN keep going!
It doesn’t take much. A knee brace and some encouragement, and I ran a race I didn’t think was possible. The same is true in this world. Sometimes the problems and tragedies in the world seem so overwhelming that they seem impossible to tackle. What could someone like me really do? I’m telling you, it doesn’t take much. You CAN make a difference. A $10 knee brace and a word of encouragement- and you can touch lives, you can change futures.
So thanks for your support and prayers! For those of you wondering, yes, I did still walk some of the race. I really felt like I needed to walk some of it to identify with the brokenness of the children I was walking for. And I loved it! I loved praying for them as I walked. I read some of their stories on the way to race, so I had names and specifics to pray for as I walked. The story that touched me the most was a little girl named Furaja. Her dream is to become a prayer intercessor who intercedes in prayer on behalf of her suffering friends, family, and people. I prayed hard that God would raise up this little 10-year-old into a mighty intercessor! I believe she is going to be a powerful vessel that He uses to bring hope, freedom, and life to the people of D.R. Congo! I can’t wait to meet her June and encourage her as she runs this race marked out for her!
What a joy to walk this journey with all of you! Thank you so much for your constant support and encouragement.
First of all, I got to RUN most of it! I decided to buy a knee brace on my drive up to Sacramento- and it was a miracle worker!!!! I put that sucker on, and vwalaa – I could run with no pain whatsoever in my knee. I was really shocked. I really didn’t have much faith that a little band of elastic material around my knee would enable me to run, but it totally did! And as I ran, God began to speak to me through that little band…
All I needed was a little support for me knee. That’s it… and I could RUN. I could do it! It didn’t take much- just a little support. And the same is true for the children in D.R. Congo. They too just need a little support. And they can do it! They can make it in life. They can finish school. They can become Christian leaders in their country to help bring God’s hope and restoration. A little support goes a long way. One malaria shot will go a long way. One text book will go a long way. One sponsorship will go a long way. And I love that this is what ELI is about. We’re about EMPOWERING people to run the race set before them. They don’t need us to do it for them. They can do it- they just need a little support. I’m so excited to be part of a group helping to provide that support. Helping to provide those knee braces so that these kids can RUN!
I also learned about the power of encouragement. This was a trail run, so that meant we were running along a trail way back in the woods and meadows, away from all the crowds. We didn’t have people cheering us on as we ran because they couldn’t get back there. Except for one lady. She was standing along the trail, about 6 miles in. And she was just there to encourage us. As I ran by, she yelled out enthusiastically, “Keep going! You’re doing great!” And it was so powerful. Those few words gave me such a boost of energy and I felt like I could conquer the world. Her words lingered in my head throughout the rest of the race – “Keep going.” And so I did; I kept going.
And now I am so excited to bring that same message of encouragement to the children of D.R. Congo! I so badly want to hug each of them, look them in the eyes, and say, “Keep going! You’re doing great!” I want to say it to the teachers who sacrifice every day to love and teach these 500 children. I want to say it to the Congolese ELI staff that lay down their lives every day to bring God’s hope to this country. They too are running this race in the back trails of the world where no one sees them; where no one comes along side them. But I am so excited to journey into those forgotten trails this June to remind them that they have not been forgotten. They DO matter, and they CAN keep going!
It doesn’t take much. A knee brace and some encouragement, and I ran a race I didn’t think was possible. The same is true in this world. Sometimes the problems and tragedies in the world seem so overwhelming that they seem impossible to tackle. What could someone like me really do? I’m telling you, it doesn’t take much. You CAN make a difference. A $10 knee brace and a word of encouragement- and you can touch lives, you can change futures.
So thanks for your support and prayers! For those of you wondering, yes, I did still walk some of the race. I really felt like I needed to walk some of it to identify with the brokenness of the children I was walking for. And I loved it! I loved praying for them as I walked. I read some of their stories on the way to race, so I had names and specifics to pray for as I walked. The story that touched me the most was a little girl named Furaja. Her dream is to become a prayer intercessor who intercedes in prayer on behalf of her suffering friends, family, and people. I prayed hard that God would raise up this little 10-year-old into a mighty intercessor! I believe she is going to be a powerful vessel that He uses to bring hope, freedom, and life to the people of D.R. Congo! I can’t wait to meet her June and encourage her as she runs this race marked out for her!
What a joy to walk this journey with all of you! Thank you so much for your constant support and encouragement.
posted by Kierra Higgins at 4:27 PM
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