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Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.
Hebrews 12:1 (ESV)

Running a marathon

Years ago, my pastor started one of his sermons by bringing up five marathon runners on stage. He proceeded to ask them what they had learned about running marathons. One of the runners is a dear friend of mine, and I will never forget something she said. Her favorite thing about running a marathon was when they were in the home stretch (so exhausted they weren’t sure if they were going to make it) and runners who had already crossed the finish line would come back, run with them, and cheer them on to help them finish strong. She said, “As Christians, we should be doing the same thing.” I pray this ministry is doing just that.

I hope the stories we tell, encourage you to endure and run a strong race. Our dream is you will tell your stories to others when you are able. You may not realize it, but all of us have something in common with the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11. We all have a story to tell of God’s love and faithfulness.

Our stories

Our story is not about how tragically we lost our husbands, or how devastating grief is. All of us can remember days, weeks, and months, where our loss is all we can see, hear and feel. But our story is much, much bigger. It’s about the God of all Creation, Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, and who He is. Our story leads people to see Him and who He is – His love, His faithfulness, and His goodness.

Throughout my journey as a widow, I have seen God’s love and faithfulness woven through the details of my life time and time again.

God’s love

This week, we are hosting our sixth AWM Hope™ Conference. It never ceases to amaze me how much God’s love is evident in the lives of these women. I hear so many stories of how God prepared them for what was to come and provided for them in their darkest hours. And the truly remarkable ways they are discovering a deeper relationship with God. Our loving God who is intimately involved in the details of our lives. It is still impossible to wrap my mind around the fact that I have a God who loves me so deeply even though I am just one of the billions of His creations. When I gather with others and hear their stories, I am reminded of His love and my faith grows stronger.

God’s faithfulness

My faith grows stronger because through others’ stories I see how unwavering God is in His faithfulness. It doesn’t matter who we are, what we have done or not done, God is faithful because that is His character. We see how true that is not only in our stories but also throughout scripture. Things may not look the way we think they should look or happen in the timeframe we desire but He is always faithful. He is who He says He is. I find as a widow, it is often easier to see His faithfulness because so many of my worldly distractions have been stripped away / have become less important in my life. As my grief became more manageable others began to see it as well.

Telling our stories

We all have stories of His love and faithfulness. By telling those stories we help others run with endurance just as we are told to do in Hebrews 12:1. But let us not only be concerned with our own race. Let us also seek to help others be successful in their race. We need to be like the marathon runners and come back to run with those behind us and cheer them on so they too can run the race with endurance.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You so much for loving us. We are so grateful that You desire to be intimately involved in our lives. Help us not only run our race with endurance but help us help others also. Give us opportunities to share our stories of Your love, faithfulness, and goodness with others so that they may come to know You and love You deeply. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.