My Random Thoughts.

Where to start?

I am so proud of my community, my friends, my family and people I don’ t even know. I wish that stories like these made the national news because instead of watching the news and feeling defeated, afraid, discouraged and sad, we would be filled with joy, love, hope and grace. We would finish watching the TV and jump off the couch and be figuring out what we could do to help someone else instead of pointing fingers and starting the blame game for this problem and that issue. We wouldn’t be so dependent on politicians in Washington campaigning and crusading for “the people” because we would DOING what JESUS called us to do – which simply, is to love Him and love each other. And with love comes generosity and joy and peace and hope and grace.

Let me recap what has happened.

Everyone should know now about the flood that devastated middle TN and parts of KY. A few weeks later and the media decided that it was newsworthy etc. You’ve probably heard that residents have put their personal lives on hold and have volunteered over 10 years and millions of dollars worth of work in just a few weeks. Strangers helping strangers. Celebrities flying “home” to Nashville to help wherever they could. People donating MILLIONS of dollars in a down economy, etc. The enormity of the flood was a story of its own. The RESPONSE to the flood, however, is unlike anything that I have ever seen.

And this weekend at Ellie’s Run continued to leave me baffled.

For the past four years, I have worked with a local Nashville-based non-profit called Ellie’s Run For Africa. Each year, hundreds of people show up and thousands of dollars are donated. This year, though, I was prepared to see less people and to not have a hefty amount of donations. I wasn’t bitter. I knew that while we need to extend our resources to help people around the world, that we don’t need to forget our own communities – especially when it has just experienced something so traumatic.

So, on Saturday morning, my husband and I got out of bed at 3 am. We headed to the park and met up with the other Ellie’s Run volunteers and prayed together. We prayed that the kids in Africa and the teachers in Africa would know that we were thinking of them. We wanted them to know that no matter what amount of money was raised, that they would know that there were people rooting for them, that there were people that BELIEVED in them and that there was a God that was BIGGER than anything.

After the prayer, we all went about the park – setting up tents and tables and chairs and the race course. I took my place in my “media tent”, called and emailed local news stations and sat back – waiting for people to come. I am a little ashamed to say that I was expecting the worst. I mean, people had lost everything and we were expecting money? We were holding the race in the SAME park where the city is dumping trash from the flood and in the very area that got flooded the worst, and we were expecting families to come out early on a Saturday morning and give their money to kids half way across the globe and run a race?

Do you know what happened? People came. And not just a few people… A LOT of people. Hundreds of people, to be exact. Overflow parking lots were opened. A few of them, actually. People ran a 5k through muddy fields thinking of these kids – wearing race bibs that said “I am running for…” and listed an African child’s name. And, after the race, they took off their bibs and wrote a personal note or prayer to each child that will be hand delivered to them next week.

And, not only were people THINKING and PRAYING for these kids in Kenya, they GAVE to these very kids that we prayed for early that morning in the dark field. They GAVE over $47,000 to those kids. The same people that lost their homes and clothes and cars helped raise over $47,000 for strangers that live in a slum in Africa – the people that are “easy” to forget. You know – “Out of site – out of mind.” But, God answered our prayer with this: He didn’t forget them. He never has and never will and will continue to provide whether we think that it’s possible or not.

I am so glad that God proved me wrong. I am so glad that our God loves us enough to show us his grace and mercy and wonder through the good and the bad.

Thank you to all who are doing instead of whining. Thank you to all of you who aren’t afraid to do something small because you think that it won’t make a difference. I can’t speak for everyone, but I have seen Jesus more in the past few months more than I have in a LONG time. I can’t speak for everyone, but I am ready to turn off the news, jump off the couch and dig in.

My prayer is that despite whatever circumstances you’re “in the middle of dealing with”  – that you would experience unspeakable joy and hope and grace in the days to come.

Thank you for allowing ME to see Jesus.