Annesley Writers Forum "We Are Cheering You On" by Rebekah Hallberg for Wednesday, 24 September 2014

Annesley Writers Forum "We Are Cheering You On" by Rebekah Hallberg for Wednesday, 24 September 2014
About 15 years ago, my dad had decided to start training for a marathon. When the time came to run the marathon, our 
whole family was excited to go and watch the competitors. For some of them, it was business as usual – they were the ones who run many marathons every year, and they ran fast; those 26 miles just weren’t a problem for them. For others, it was the pinnacle to their training as they had their eyes fixed on completing just that one marathon. But, for others, it was just plain grueling. You could see it on their faces, you could watch as the energy drained out of them with every step they took. Every time a runner went by, the crowds cheered. There was a lot of clapping and shouts of encouragement.
But do you know what happened when that last group of racers passed by – the ones for whom the race was exceedingly grueling?
Cheering!
Insane amounts of cheering! Not just the clapping and, “Way to go!” that the elite runners had received. No, I’m talking about whole groups of people cheering wildly, jumping up and down, waving their arms in the air, as if it was their own relative out there on the course, struggling along – as though the combined vocal and physical energy might carry them for the next few yards until they got to the next section of spectators who were ready to cheer. The amazing thing was that we knew exactly how to cheer based on the section of spectators just before us. If they clapped and cheered, fantastic! A strong runner must have been coming by. But sometimes, you could hear those wild, loud, almost raucous cheers from several sections before ours, and you knew – you just knew – that here came a runner who needed every ounce of encouragement we could offer.
As grueling as the marathon was for their body, you could see that the cheering and encouragement was equally uplifting to their heart. So we cheered louder.
What I discovered during the two marathons that my dad ran, is that I love to cheer people on. I realized how grateful I was that so many seemed to do well – they were strong, they had trained well, running came easily for them. But, oh, how my heart soared for those who were struggling.
I’ve been in my share of trenches; I’ve been stuck in enough ruts to know that sometimes we just don’t feel like going on. Being at those marathons, though, reminded me that life is our marathon – yours and mine. You won’t find me running a marathon – not a literal one.
But my heart’s desire is to come alongside you in your marathon of life. It’s so easy to do well when life is going smoothly and when things are working well. In those hard times, though, we all need a friend who will encourage us and cheer us on until we feel confident to keep going.
I’ve found that sometimes the best thing to do when our life marathon gets too grueling is simply to stop. Take a look around and just breathe for a few minutes. None of us is at the “expert” level on this marathon journey and we’re all going to need to stop and catch our breath from time to time. We’re all going to feel like we’re in a rut, like we can’t go on. I love this quote, at those times:

“One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak.”(G.K. Chesterton)

Those times when we’re stuck, when we need that encouragement, when we feel we just cannot put one foot in front of the other, those are great times to just stop and look around. See, I’ve learned that the mountain tops are nice – you can see for miles, you can appreciate the beauty, you feel successful.
But the only way to get to the mountain top is to walk through the valley and climb up the mountain. The valleys are often dark, and sometimes scary. But that’s where I want to be in your life – I want you to find me in the valley, because I have seen the beauty of the valley.
The valley is where you can rest under the cool shade of God’s wings. The valley is where you can see the beautiful, intricate detail of everything that you see from the top of the mountain. The valley is where you can see how things root and grow and blossom to become the beautiful creations that we see on the top of the mountains.
The valley is where Psalm 91 comes alive in our lives:

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; 

his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 

nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday….

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 

they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.(Psalm 91:4-6, 11-12)

Dear friend, do you feel stuck in a rut? Are you going through a valley? I know your feet feel heavy and your body is worn out. Can you hear me?  I’m here; I’m here with so many other travelers on this life marathon, and we are cheering for you. The road is long, the path is tough, but we are not alone. God is making the way through the valley for us, and giving us His protection! Press on, friend! 
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