Remembering Loved Ones and Embracing Life

This past week, Tyler and I experienced grief for one of the first times in our married lives together… the loss of a grandparent. A grandparent, Grandma Fenske, who told stories of a little boy who lost his tooth and played baseball and came to visit in the summertime. A grandparent who, through her loss, has brought a family together to embrace and love and comfort in this hard time, in a way I truly admire.

Tyler flew out to Seattle last week to be with the family and he comes home today (boy have I missed him).  This has allowed me a week, seven full days to sit still in the quiet and think about the life I am living… The life I have been given to live…

A good portion of my free time was spent running. Yes, you read correctly: running.  For those that know me well, you know that this used to be the activity I hated most in the athletic world. That is, until I married a runner :-). Now I find myself reading Runner’s World magazine for fun and training for a half marathon. I will be running my half marathon in a little over a month from now, November 16^th. And for the first time in my life I really have had to go through training- a regimented schedule someone else created for me in order to prepare me for race day. And if I am honest, most days, I don’t feel like lacing up my shoes and running 4 miles after work. But I do it anyways! I run up the hills and I run back down them and sometimes I can’t wait for it to end. Then other days I run and I literally feel like I am flying. I am lost in thought and floating on air and before I know it the run is over.

It is an up-and-down kind of process. Sometimes the wind carries me and sometimes I have to struggle and push to the finish line. This up-and-down process… it goes beyond running. It’s those days at work and those days in our marriage and those days with family members and friends and the future…

As I have been thinking about my life this last week, I realize both the ups and the downs have been good for me in the long run (no pun intended). In training, my body becomes disciplined and I can do things I never thought I could do before. I think in life, these bumps in the road can do the same thing. The hurts can be transformed to help others, the waiting can develop patience, the arguments can turn around to strengthen relationships.

There is a grace, a beautiful mess that is going to emerge and prove itself good in time. Maybe we will see it here on earth or maybe it will come after us…

But not matter what, run hard. Don’t give up, especially on the hills. And hold onto friends and loved ones with sweet embraces and shared meals and spend life together. Enjoy life together.

And spend time getting to know our Maker… watch His sunsets and feel the fall breeze and breathe deep.

 

“I lift my eyes up to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, who made the heaven and the earth.”

Psalm 121:1-2

<3 Mandi