40 Days of Running for Change

 

Today is the 40th day of my 2021 challenge.  In those 40 days, I’ve completed 228.5 miles.  I’ve run for 30 hours 42 minutes, and 33 seconds.  My map shows me inching closer to Iowa, the third of eight states I’ll cross along the way to California.  Based on my pace calculations, I’m 7 miles ahead of where I needed to be after 40 days.  Not bad for a 40-year-old man, if I don’t say so myself. :-)

I can’t say that these 40 days have been easy, nor that I expected them to be.  There have been times that I didn’t want to get out of bed for an early morning run.  Times my legs and my feet have ached from the pounding of the road under my feet.  I’ve even wondered a few times if I could actually accomplish this wild and crazy goal.  

In the Bible, the number 40 is mentioned 159 times throughout the old and the new testaments.  God flooded the earth for 40 days and 40 nights, Moses wandered through the desert for 40 years, and Jesus fasted for 40 days.  Overall, 40 is a number in the Bible associated with testing and the hardships that one must endure to become more spiritually aware.  But what I’m learning from these Biblical lessons is that although the 40 days were difficult, and maybe even downright miserable for Noah, Moses, Jesus, and others who endured the 40 days of suffering, God was always with them.  He never left them.  Even in their weakest moments, He was there.  

It’s ambitious to think about running 2,021 miles in a year, but it’s probably downright crazy to imagine raising $20,021 while doing it.  It’s going to take faith, belief, and commitment.  When I look at the big picture, I’ve still got a LONG way to go.  But I’ve been telling myself that it’s got to be a day by day race. So I continue to put one foot in front of the other, forgetting about the aches and pains that have already come while doing my best not to think about those that are still to come.  It’s a marathon, not a sprint.  It’s a test of my faith and my commitment, knowing that God will give me the strength to move forward each day.  And just as Noah, Moses, and Jesus passed the test and gained insight into God’s plan, so have I made it through my first 40 days. I continue to watch and learn as God’s plan for me continues to unfold.  

If you’d like to help me reach my 2021 goals, you can join me both in prayer, and financially by donating to 2nd Mile Missions through my “Running for Change” fundraising campaign at https://2ndmilemissions.reachapp.co/campaigns/running-for-change  Your one-time, or recurring, tax-deductible gift will help 2nd Mile Missions continue to provide hope for a future for God’s children in the Dominican Republic.  God bless you for your contributions!