Day 105 of Marathon Training/ Run4Jens Plan
As I ran through campus today, I had to stop and watch the ducklings for a bit. This duck ramp was built so that the baby ducklings could have a way to get out of the fountain this spring.
As I thought about this ramp, I thought about the gift of support someone gave to these little ducklings. The word "dependence" came to mind as I thought about these little creatures all huddled together this morning to stay warm and who depended on this ramp to not get stuck as they are getting bigger, learning to fly and growing up to the point that they will not need this ramp.
I read a bit more about it:
"Why all the fuss? Well, the ducks — mallards, like in the book — have a habit of building nests and laying eggs on campus. When the babies are big enough, the mother leads them to water, and guess which water is most convenient? The problem is, the mother can get into the pond but the babies can’t because they can’t fly.
“It’s not intuitive to her that the ducklings can’t get into the pond because most water is straight downhill from land and there’s not a little wall,” said Julia Parrish, director of the Program on the Environment and a biologist who specializes in waterfowl.
So, the mother duck gets into the pond and the ducklings are left on the sidewalk looking distressed. Enter well-meaning humans who scoop up the babies and place them in the pond. Which is fine because they can swim, but not fine because they can’t get out of the water to dry off."
http://www.washington.edu/news/2009/07/23/faculty-staff-come-together-to-help-campus-make-way-for-ducklings-really/
Today as I was running, I felt a slight tightness in my hamstring. As I've told you all throughout this training, I've had quite a few aches and pains that have come and gone. With just a week until the race, I know I am going to notice every little thing and may feel a bit paranoid about what might get in the way of all the work I've put into the last few months. And yet- I will say that throughout the last 15 weeks or so, with knee aches, shin splints, etc, each time- they are a reminder that I am dependent on God to be able to live and breathe and have my being in the first place. The aches are a reminder that I don't have this "in the bag"...that I have an opportunity to let my weakness point me to where my real strength lies. They have been a reminder for me to pray for you two and as a small way to come alongside you in the many aches and pains you have experienced and are dealing with right now.
As I ran past the ducks and continued on my route, my mind wandered in a stream of consciousness kind of way like it often does when I run. I thought about how dependent these little ducklings were on this support provided and prayed for you all to continue to receive the support you need in the coming days to be able to spread your wings. As I continued to think about the theme of dependence, I thought about the way that your lungs are a reminder each day for you that your life and your breath are a gift.
I realized as I was thinking about this that I probably never told you about my uncle who died when he was in college. My dad's youngest brother (Wendel Haynes) was on Vanderbilt campus on a snowy day and was in a freak accident. A car drove by and slid on ice and knocked into a stop sign. The sign fell over and hit my uncle and he died. What are the chances? Anyway, he was an organ donor and his eyes were given to someone who needed them. I wondered what that was like for someone who was blind who could then see back in 1970. What was it like that first day? This person may still be alive as far as I know- but I can imagine that looking in the mirror each day would be a reminder that his life and his sight were gifts not to be taken for granted.
Our weakness and our brokenness are truly places that expose our dependence.
As Leonard Cohen sings, "there is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in..."
May you have all the support you need today.
May your hearts continually turn to Him to be healed and to be repaired
and may His glory shine through...
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