grab a hand

We had just passed mile 24 when she hit it.  Her steps faltered and veered toward the curb.  My running partner had slammed right into the dreaded runners’ wall.  Now she ran with her eyes closed, barely putting one foot in front of the other.  Mustering my remaining energy and strength I grabbed her hand and started talking, loudly and nonstop. 

Looking straight ahead I saw a tall building, one entire wall covered with an enormous picture advertising the re-release of the movie E.T.  I jabbered on about how I saw E.T. in the theater when it first came out, the theater so packed that people were sitting on the floor between the aisles.  I told silly stories about my one year old son.  Words poured out of me as my hand held hers and our feet covered the last 2.2 miles of our marathon journey.

We crossed the finish line together, clasped hands raised, big smiles on our faces. 

For eight months, my partner and I had run together four days a week.  There were countless days when her quiet knock on my front door was the only thing that wrenched me from my bed for those 5:30a.m. training runs.  I know that I could not have covered those 26.2 miles that day in March 2001 without her.

In every area of my life, my chances of succeeding and meeting my goals are drastically improved if I don’t try to go it alone. 

In my life of faith, I meet regularly with women who are mentors and friends.  We ask each other the hard questions, laugh heartily together and help carry one another’s burdens when life gets tough. 

As a homeschooling mom, a group of us who are educating our children at home gather together monthly.  We celebrate successes in our journeys, share resources and help each other over the bumps on the road.

In my desire to stay fit and active, I am a member of a gym where the other crazy people there at 5:30a.m. members I see regularly help encourage me to keep at it, even when it feels difficult or I don’t see the progress I would like.

Some days, being faithful with my writing feels just as hard as getting outside with my running shoes on and pounding the pavement.  My steps can start to veer toward the curb; I just want to sit down already!  So I am profoundly grateful for my God-Sized Dream sisters who, through their encouragement, inspiration, and the fact they keep showing up, take my hand and pull me along toward this God-Sized Dream in my heart.

Linking up at Holley's place today!

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Whose hand do you need to grab a hold of today?