About a week & a half ago, a group of us decided to run in the Run For Home charity race benefiting Habitat for Humanity. The event was held in downtown Manila during the early hours of a crisp Sunday morning. As I trudged along the sidewalk to the starting line, the sun had barely broken upon the horizon & my sleepless body ached wondering what in the world prompted my participation in this terribly daunting event. Thoughts of doubt entered my mind : I am not a runner, I did not train for this, My knee won’t be able to handle it, I don’t want to race in something I can’t win, I’m hungry, I’m tired, & running is stupid. Before the starting whistle blew, I had already determined that I didn’t want to run. But being the suborn person I am, I was determined to finish the race no excuses. As I began to run, the negativity started to melt away. Even in the midst of hundreds of runners, I felt a unique silence & peace- It was just me, my iPod, & God. I experienced a special moment of reflection as my life’s realities set in. I was overwhelmed with a feeling of blessedness. I felt so privileged & excited to be exactly where I was- in the midst of an experience of a lifetime. Sometimes I have to remind myself that it’s not normal to live out of a backpack, or to make airport floors your home. I have become, in a sense, so accustomed to life on the race that I often forget to be amazed at the life I am able to live, with the experiences I get to have, & of all the opportunities I get to seize. But in that moment somewhere between dawn & daylight, in the midst of the Filipino masses, & covered in rivers of sweat, I felt rejuvenation. I am blessed, I am chosen, I am living the experience of a lifetime, I have a purpose, & I can change the world. With the end in sight, my spirit stirred with excitement for what was to come. I knew I was on the brink of something great, something undeniably divine. I couldn’t wait to get started.
Crossing a finish line never felt so good.
