Disney Half Marathon

WOW!

My week started off with three days in a row receiving sad news reports from different friends about the goings ons in their lives. I felt beat up, my heart ached badly for my friends. Empathy is funny like that I guess. It doesn't seem productive to feel others pain when there is nothing you can do to fix it. But, I realized that what we can do is be there, maybe this helps lighten the load? I'm grateful that I have the time to share that space of grief with the ones I love.

One friend lost his dad this week, with no warning. At the end of the week he played two concerts, played his guts out, lit up the room. God bless him. We all have those passions which can help us come through tragedy. Maybe that was part of God's plan all along, giving us talents not just to be enjoyed lightly but to create a spiritual link to him and his unexplainable peace.

So, on Friday (as well as Thursday and Saturday) night I got to hug my friend before he went on stage, one of those real I see you and love you kind of hugs. He made me cry with his music. Due to the concert we didn't go to bed till 1:30 AM. I stayed at Tyler's so we could head to Disney together come 4:20 AM.

Two friends of my parents had paid entries to the Disney 1/2 Marathon on Saturday and they were unable to run in the event. Tyler and I had planned on running for 2 hours together anyway, since I was going down for the concert, so we happily agreed to take their entries and have a Disney experience.

What a day! We got to Epcot at 5:00 AM and as we were waiting for the port-o-potties the SNOW was coming down! SNOW at DISNEY... REAL SNOW! It was fantastic! Magical really. During the race the snow turned to light sleet and then rain, but it was all worth it. We ran for fun not time and had a BLAST. We hooted and hollered, high fived spectators, even sang happy birthday to someone on the course. Having been one of the last 200 people to cross the start line (the original registrants are run-walkers), we were very pleased with our 2:02 finish time. I think we ran half the race on the grass or in the gutters!

This past weekend was one of the most special times I've had. I got to spend some treasured time with some of the most beautiful people I know, including my favorite author/prophet/speaker Shane Claiborne! I think I had a glimpse at what the community will be like in heaven, connecting with souls on a non-verbal level of deepness. The crap at the beginning of the week made us all vulnerable enough to need each other. I wouldn't call it God's will that crap happens, because I don't believe in that sort of deity, but I do believe in the God of love and relationships and that he is able to lead the intimacy that can come out of dark times.