My 1/2 Marathon Journey

I’ve joined Team World Vision!!!

I’d been looking on their website for some time, and finally just decided to commit to running a 1/2 marathon to raise money to help change lives in Africa.

God hasn’t released me yet to “GO” for Him internationally, He’s still preparing me for that… but that doesn’t mean I can’t do something right where He’s planted me now.  I confess, that often I used to get discouraged because I wasn’t ‘out there’, where I really desire to be – serving the poor, needy, orphaned, widows, forgotten, and unloved in third world countries.  Man, I’m the type that REALLY wants to get down and dirty, be used by God, serve Him by serving and loving people, and spreading His love to everyone – wash some people’s feet.  So if I wasn’t ‘out there’ I’d feel like I wasn’t doing ANYTHING for God… we all know that this means my focus was not on GOD, but on me – can you say, self-centered?  Now, there isn’t anything wrong with desiring to be used by God… but if I got so discouraged and frustrated, was I following God really, or just the legend in my own mind of what I THINK God wants me to do?  Obedience and surrendering to His will were both not part of my vocabulary at that point.

He still has to slow me down and bring me back into His arms when I get overzealous for something He hasn’t released me yet to do… and I wouldn’t really have it any other way.  Although I desire to do some major work for God and to really spread His love around, I would never want to run ahead of Him or forfeit a closer relationship with Him to do the ‘side-works’ that look “Christian” and serving.

Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the duty of all mankind. 
For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Yet, on the other hand, I cannot be stagnant… sit around and do nothing for the kingdom of God.  I have been in this position as well, and God is not pleased with me when I do that either.
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
James 2:14-26
So, combining my love for Christ and Africa and my desire to serve in some capacity – running a 1/2 marathon was a good place to start.
I’m only on Day 3 of my training. I’ve never run more than 4 miles before at once, so 13.1 is going to be enough of a challenge that I’ll have to push myself and train.  I have a little more than 5 months to go until my event date (which I’ll be registering for pretty soon).  I have the countdown timer on here.
I’m not expressing myself very well today, on why I joined Team World Vision.
You can read the more real reason why on the fundraising webpage they gave me to personalize.  Check it out here: Team World Vision (aclayheart)

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