Tonight was one of the most memorable and teachable moments of my race and probably of my life so just prepare your hearts for a sec.
First off let me tell you about my team leader Meredith. This is one of the most kind hearted, generous, loving and encouraging human beings I have ever met in my entire life, (and I could go on and on). Whether you need a shoulder to cry on, a truth spoken to you, a good laugh, a coffee date, or just someone to go to it’s Mere. She has been by our side for the past 3 months of our race and for that I am forever grateful. I will never forget the time, love and effort she has put into my team and I. She is a true definition of a woman of God, a daughter in Christ, and lover of Jesus.
Before we left Panama, I decided I was going to send home my bible because it was quite large, heavy and starting to wear and tear. Some of the pages were ripping and it added a good amount of weight. So when we landed in Boston for our layover before Spain, I sent home a total of 23lbs which included my bible as I planned to pick up a much smaller one there in Boston. I went to three or four different stores searching for the perfect new bible and had no success and before I knew it, we had to board the plane to Spain. I was frustrated and anxious about not having a bible because if you think about it, all the Bible’s in Spain are in Spanish and I only know like 5 words haha. I’ve went through these past few days of debrief using the Bible app on my phone and was honestly just annoyed I didn’t have one in hand.
Tonight I walked out on to the front patio and Mere was sitting on one of the benches. She immediately greeted me with a hug (as she always does), and says “I have a story for you.” So I sat down and was eager to hear since her stories are always filled with either a lesson or encouragement. She told me that when she got her bible, (which she was holding in her hand) she had a feeling she wasn’t going to keep it forever. So when I told her in Panama I was sending my bible home, she prayed for me not to get a bible in Boston because she was going to give me hers hence why I never found one. So sitting on that bench, Mere handed me her bible and said “It’s yours if you want it babe.” Tears immediately came to my eyes as I literally sat back and thought “Wow God thank you. Thank you for Mere and thank you for your timing.” I was in complete awe as I said “Yes of course!! Are you sure?” And she replied, “Absolutely.” I just kept hugging her and thanked her a million times with tears still in my eyes. (If you peek at the picture below, the verse highlighted is my favorite verse. Proverbs 91:21).
So keep in mind God’s timing is perfect all the time and even though you may think you have a plan, the Lord’s plan is always greater. He will always provide. He is a good God and places people in our lives exactly when we need them. And Mere if you’re reading this, thank you again. I am forever grateful for your kind heart, your words of wisdom, your unfailing love and our friendship. You will always be my Auntie Mere.
