Boston Marathon 2011

Let's get one thing straight: I did not run the Boston Marathon. My 45-year-old aunt, however, did, and she invited me to come along for support. Of course, I wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to spend extended time with one of my favorite people, take off two days of school, go to a new city, and experience the Boston Marathon from the sidelines!

You have to know that my aunt has struggled with an auto-immune disease, aplastic anemia, for ten years now and she's a cancer survivor. Keep that in mind when I tell you that she finished in the top 10% of all runners, the top 5% of all women, and 79th in her age group. Boo-yah!

The trip was full of highlights (not the least of which was the fact that there were over 100 Dunkin' Donuts stores within a 5 mile radius--no kidding). BUT the best part for me was watching my aunt in her element, watching her do what she's passionate about, seeing her on her turf. I really don't know much about running. In fact, I probably learned more about running in a 72-hour period than I had in the rest of my life combined. But there's something about seeing a person do what they love--whether or not I understand it and whether or not I share their passion for it--that gives me JOY. I was overcome with emotion watching her run toward the finish line, knowing that this was probably the most memorable moment of her running career, knowing how hard she'd worked to be there and knowing what she'd overcome in the last decade.

I get a similar feeling when I watch my friend Lauren sing, or when I see my brother play baseball, or listen to my sister tell me about her artwork. There's something unspeakably sweet about seeing people do what they were created to do and it makes me gush joy.

My aunt, running in pink!

Eric Liddell, an Olympic runner and Scottish missionary, famously said, "When I run, I feel His glory," and while I don't quite feel that glory when I run, I feel it when I write, and when I see His glory in others as they use their gifts, I get the glow of glory as an onlooker.

So, Boston was enjoyable, Dunkin' Donuts' chocolate cake glazed donuts (let's be honest: I ate more than one) were delicious, but the sweet spot of the trip was really the glow of glory I felt watching my aunt do what she was created to do: run for His glory.