I have been HUMBLED!
I have really been down lately....
After each of my first 4 babies...I was able to just bounce back...no problem. Maybe not to the same level...but I could train for a couple weeks and then run a competitive 10k or 5k!
Not this time...it has been HARD!
I suffer from the syndrome....YOUR36ANDYOUTHINKYOUR20!
Any of you had that syndrome?
Ever since my race on Saturday I have been HUMBLED over and over again to the point that I just want to say "I GET IT!"
Saturday, after the race, I had to get an Easter dress for my oldest daugher...again....this will be #3...she is just getting picky...and yet still wants one!
So we go to the mall, while I am there I see 3 life changing situations....almost like the ghost of Christmas past, present and future!
As we are walking in, there are two women in there 20's that both weigh about 400 pounds. Making it difficult to walk! My heart breaks...here I am complaining about loosing 10-15 pounds. When really I should be thankful that the Lord blessed me with an able body to not only be able to walk...but run! I quickly said a prayer in my heart for them...that they would be able to find what they were looking for and that they would have a good Easter and that others would not be critical of them!
We get in the store...find the right section and pick out about 7 dresses! There are lots of mothers with their daughters doing the exact same thing. As the daughters try on their dresses the girls come out and model for the mom! I look over to my left and there is a mom who is blind, with her white walking stick and her daughter, leading her to a safe spot. The daughter walks into the dressing room with her stack of dresses and we don't see her again. I can't help but to feel like crying as I can only imagine how hard this would be. The mother sat quietly on the side as all of us "oohed" and "ahhed" about the dresses our daughters were trying on. Finally, her daughter came out with the dress she picked out, she walked up to her mom, and with their own special process, they shared the moment of picking out the Easter dress. Completely different than what any of us were experiencing! I was filled with warmth as I realized how good God is and how he allows us to have JOY even when we have obstacles! I think maybe they enjoyed their shopping more than the rest of us moms, as we felt rushed and impatient at times! Once again I found myself offering a quiet prayer for that sweet mother!
Time to grab a shirt for Luke, and as if I had not already been humbled.... I saw a mother walking next to her young paralyzed son...maybe 10 years of age! Here I stood, tired, and flustered with my 5 healthy kids. There must have been an accident, but her son would never be the same. Their lives would never be the same. And yet, once again I could feel joy and happiness from them. Yes! More than I felt from others.
Is it not our obstacles that make us stronger?
The last three days I have enjoyed life more...and remembered that I am blessed!!!!
I am so thankful to be able to run!
And to be able to run with my kids!
I have really been down lately....
After each of my first 4 babies...I was able to just bounce back...no problem. Maybe not to the same level...but I could train for a couple weeks and then run a competitive 10k or 5k!
Not this time...it has been HARD!
I suffer from the syndrome....YOUR36ANDYOUTHINKYOUR20!
Any of you had that syndrome?
Ever since my race on Saturday I have been HUMBLED over and over again to the point that I just want to say "I GET IT!"
Saturday, after the race, I had to get an Easter dress for my oldest daugher...again....this will be #3...she is just getting picky...and yet still wants one!
So we go to the mall, while I am there I see 3 life changing situations....almost like the ghost of Christmas past, present and future!
As we are walking in, there are two women in there 20's that both weigh about 400 pounds. Making it difficult to walk! My heart breaks...here I am complaining about loosing 10-15 pounds. When really I should be thankful that the Lord blessed me with an able body to not only be able to walk...but run! I quickly said a prayer in my heart for them...that they would be able to find what they were looking for and that they would have a good Easter and that others would not be critical of them!
We get in the store...find the right section and pick out about 7 dresses! There are lots of mothers with their daughters doing the exact same thing. As the daughters try on their dresses the girls come out and model for the mom! I look over to my left and there is a mom who is blind, with her white walking stick and her daughter, leading her to a safe spot. The daughter walks into the dressing room with her stack of dresses and we don't see her again. I can't help but to feel like crying as I can only imagine how hard this would be. The mother sat quietly on the side as all of us "oohed" and "ahhed" about the dresses our daughters were trying on. Finally, her daughter came out with the dress she picked out, she walked up to her mom, and with their own special process, they shared the moment of picking out the Easter dress. Completely different than what any of us were experiencing! I was filled with warmth as I realized how good God is and how he allows us to have JOY even when we have obstacles! I think maybe they enjoyed their shopping more than the rest of us moms, as we felt rushed and impatient at times! Once again I found myself offering a quiet prayer for that sweet mother!
Time to grab a shirt for Luke, and as if I had not already been humbled.... I saw a mother walking next to her young paralyzed son...maybe 10 years of age! Here I stood, tired, and flustered with my 5 healthy kids. There must have been an accident, but her son would never be the same. Their lives would never be the same. And yet, once again I could feel joy and happiness from them. Yes! More than I felt from others.
Is it not our obstacles that make us stronger?
The last three days I have enjoyed life more...and remembered that I am blessed!!!!
I am so thankful to be able to run!
And to be able to run with my kids!
Unreal....great post and amazing Easter dress shopping outing. Thank you for this!!!
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Hi Sherri,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post!! Thanks for sharing those stories! It certainly helped me to put things into perspective. I do the same thing you do...sometimes think that I am in my twenties but am a few years older than you girl:) Just for the record, I think you look fantastic:)
This was a great post, thank you so much for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteThat was a great post, brought tears to my eyes. Thanks for the reminders! I've been really down the last couple of days and needed this to put my life back into perspective.
ReplyDeleteFive kids at the mall, what an adventure! :)
ReplyDeleteCertainly we need only look beyond ourselves to see just how truly blessed we are each day. Being able to run is truly a blessing!
By the way, your time on Saturday was great! It has been almost four years since my last baby was born and I am far from your pace! I'm not a competitive person though (my running partner is) I run for enjoyment and satisfaction and I can get both of those while I keep a 9 minute pace! :)
Have a great day!
Thanks for this post...it was very humbling indeed to read these great stories.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
What a great post! Sometimes it takes moments like you had in the mall to make me realize just how lucky I am. And, what sometimes seems like a major problem, is nothing compared to what others have to go through on a daily basis. I am so grateful for all that I have!
ReplyDeleteOk, that made me cry. Awesome post - I'm so glad you shared it.
ReplyDeleteGreat post and quite a reminder to us all. You were there to see those things for a reason!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this post - it makes me cherish all the good things in my life, even though I may hit a little bumps along the road.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
Every time I run or surf I try and think of it as "an honor" to be able to do the act of "running or surfing" no matter what skill level since there are so many people at our age or younger that can't physically enjoy the sports. And yes, I totally have that "I'm 32 years old and thinking I'm 22" syndrome. It usually gets me injured! LOL
ReplyDeletegreat post. and you're right, i bet the blind mom and her daughter did have the best time together.
ReplyDeleteyeah, those situations are humbling, perfectly humbling. thanks so much for sharing;-)
Thanks for this post. It's nice to be able to put things in perspective like that every so often. Thanks again for sharing your experiences!
ReplyDeleteLovely post and so true. We are blessed and forget it so easily. Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteWow - great post!
ReplyDeletethank you. I needed that.
ReplyDelete