Not exactly my idea of a fun run but I had an emergency yesterday that knocked out my long run for the week, so I thought I’d try and make up for it today. Surprisingly the trail was not as empty as I would have thought. I would guess that most of those out had some form of cabin fever…In any case, there we all were, cold and crazy, enjoying a little fresh air. The funny thing is that it is on those kinds of days, that we all seem to feel some sort of camaraderie with each other. People smile, (albeit somewhat sheepishly) at each other or say something encouraging as we pass, that ordinarily we wouldn’t have. We all have something in common. We all are cold and maybe crazy, but wanted the exercise or fresh air enough to come out anyway. Additionally, we are all planning to get through to the end and back to our warm homes. So we all smile and give each other the thumbs up…
I started thinking. It is the same when we go through really tough times in life. Those that have gone before us, or that we know have suffered similar things are able to support and encourage us the most effectively. Ephesians says to comfort with the comfort with which we have been given. We are also to lift each other up and encourage one another. God does the initial lifting, and then through him we can connect and do the same for each other. If by chance we have also taken the same Suffering 101 course, or the more advanced 102 or 103 courses, we have so much more to offer in the way of how to not only survive but to thrive and come through it. There is a special connection and realization. “That person knows what I am feeling and I am not alone.” There is the encouragement of knowing that the days will not always feel like this and a new day is coming. Best of all we can know there is One who not only runs beside us but is lifting us up and carrying us in the deepest of valleys.-Beverly Elliott