Blind Runner

Two weekends ago I finally did something I had always wanted to do (and wondered if I could do).  I ran my first marathon.  It was the 2011 Myrtle Beach Marathon.  Some people have called me crazy and others have taken their hats off, but that's not what I wanted to write about today.  

{I do have pictures and another post coming about my experience}

I had the privilege of running with my Dad, which made all the difference in the world.  When you run in a race, you kind of size everyone else up as you go...well, maybe I just do that.  I look at everyone around me.  I look at people's strides, the way they run, their shoes, who they're running with, and I unashamingly admit that I do look at their apparel for ideas to add to my future running apparel collection.  :)

Mile 7 was different.  

My dad and I were cruising along and I looked up and I saw about 100 yards ahead of me two people running with their arms attached somehow.  At first I thought this is just one of those crazy things you see during a race for people to get noticed (I thought they were running with handcuffs).  But when we got about 25 yards away I realized what it was.

A blind runner and his guide running with a string attached to each one of their wrists.

I was in awe.  I looked them up and later found that it was Army Captain Ivan Castro and his guide Lt. Col. Fred Dummar.  Please go here to read about his story (it's definitely worth an extra 2 minutes to read).  They had matching running shirts on that said their names on the back as well as their roles..."Guide" & "Blind Runner".  My Dad and I ran close by them for a little while and then we went our separate ways.  Can I just tell you that it was such an inspiration to run by them even if it was for a short while.  I couldn't help but get emotional (yes, I'm a sensitive girl and yes, it threw my breathing off) but I truly believe I was in the right place at the right time.

image {via} (Captain Castro on the left)

I couldn't help but think about that picture and how so much it mimics the picture of us and our Heavenly Father.  Call me cliche if you want...I don't care.  If you look at the picture above, Captain Castro is unbelievably fit.  I mean I guess that's the norm if you're an Army Captain.  He has all the ability in the world to run.  However, it's that one factor that has the possibility to hold him back from doing the things that he would really like to do.  Captain Castro has made a conscious decision to not let that hold him back...he found a solution...a guide.  It would be a shame for him to put all of his hard work and abilities to waste just because of one thing.

Same with us.  God has given each one of us different talents and abilities that He wants to see us use.  How dare us sit around and put all the abilities He has given us to waste and not use them for His glory.  BUT...there's always that one thing that tries to hold us back from what God has destined for us.  Don't let it!

God has graciously volunteered himself as your guide.  You are completely fit to do the things God has for you in this life.  {This} is also a really good article to read from The Sun News in Myrtle Beach about his experience running the Myrtle Beach Marathon.  In it, he says that it is definitely not easy for him to run...he runs in a zig zag and sometimes is not able to miss potholes or bumps in the road, which makes it that much harder.  He says that his guide has to be on the lookout for those things way far in advance.

How can you not trace this back to Christ?  How He sees the big picture?  And how he guides you and leads you through life hoping that you'll follow his lead to miss the potholes and bumps?  He'll allow you to experience those "bumps", but there's always a string attached...he'll always guide you through them.

We are all blind runners.  We are all completely able and fit to do the things God has called us to do.  He is our guide to whom we can trust.  He will lead us to the finish.