what it means to serve | the joy of serving

Memorial Day weekend 2011 was the VT City Marathon. Of all the things that happen in Vermont, this might be one of my favorites. This post might sound really cheesy, but it’s totally from my heart. I don’t know a lick about running, I’m not athletic. I was scared of every single one of those dumb presidential fitness test things in Grade school. The flexed arm, hang, the rope climb, the mile run. The only thing was okay was the sit & reach. It was traumatizing really, I still remember telling my gym teacher I was scared of heights and therefore couldn’t do the flexed arm hang or the rope climb. True Story.Anyway, I don’t know anything about running, and I can only imagine what it must feel like to accomplish something after so much time spent training.

I had the opportunity to serve water to the marathon runners. I knew several people running in many capacities, the whole thing, half, or relay, it was really fun to see them. But what truly humbled me was how grateful the runners were. Granted, I was giving them something they wanted, but so many runners were saying things like “we couldn’t do it without you, thank you volunteers.”

“ Are you kidding me?” I thought….

I was just so caught off guard, because going into it, I didn’t expect to get emotional about the whole thing, or that they would be so genuinely grateful.

Last weekend Burlington hosted a Triathlon, despite the fact that they “were in my way” as I tried to navigate to the dump Saturday morning. I was again humbled, as I watched these amazing athletes competing. I was able to watch the cycling, and I drove back home was next to some of the runners. I literally was driving up the avenue, tears welling in my eyes, and chills all over my body as I observed them.

Part of it is watching someone do something I personally can’t imagine doing, and the other part of it is watching someone at the culmination of their activity after training for so long, and watching them complete it.

I guess, I’m just reminded how we never know how we’re going to impact others’ lives. We never know how much our (small) actions might mean to someone else.

All this talk of finish lines, brings to mind Hebrews 12:1: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.