It’s Mothers’ day here in the Dominican Republic, and in case you didn’t know it’s a huge deal. So, this is me celebrating my mother along with the rest of the country! Really, it’s just a great excuse to share a story I’ve been wanting to tell for a while.
Running is really hard.
Tell you something you don’t know, right? But I’m being serious, running has always intimidated me.
As I went running one day with some of the youth from my ministry city in Jamaica, I realized my momma had taught me something in middle school that would impact me forever.
I hurried to the vehicle, ready to tell my mom how unfair it was that I had to run a mile in ten minutes. I was prepared to quit, and I just knew I would have her full support. I swung open the door and proceeded to unload every pre-rehearsed line, but her reaction was not as I expected.
“Mary, you can quit but it won’t be because you don’t have endurance. Let’s go down to the track, and you’ll see that you can do it.”
My jaw dropped. I had already been through practice and completed a mile. She wanted me to do it again?! I walked down with my mom and my sister, Sarah, and faces the track once again.
I was exhausted and wanted to give up. I would cry out to Mom and Sarah, begging them to let me stop. My desperation was only met by encouragement and love. Sarah would throw her fist in the air and scream, “you can do it,Mary”. All the while my Mom would say, “don’t give up”.
I finished my mile in under ten minutes, but that wasn’t the most impactful thing about that day. My Mom didn’t let me quit simply because I thought I was inadequate or unable.
We can’t always determine the obstacles we face, but we do determine our attitude and endurance. Now, I’m running a different race, and it’s soon coming to an end. I faced many obstacles, but I didn’t give up. I have found myself exhausted, ready to run to my the comfort of my mom’s presence, but I know she’d do the same thing today…she’d remind me that I’m victorious in Christ.
Thank you, Momma, for building character in me. You truly helped to make Romans 5:3-4 more than words.
“And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope.”
