needed.

If you've ever trained for a marathon, you may know that somewhere along your training road, you are likely to hit a wall. Where you think running is stupid. This marathon thing? Stupid. All of this? Stupid.

And yes. I hit that wall this weekend.

I was supposed to run 15 miles this weekend and somewhere around mile 13, I was out. I walked. I hate walking in the middle of a run, but I couldn't go any further. I walked about 3/4 of a mile and took up my run again. 2 miles left. I was honestly praying that God would just help me get through the rest.

With 1.5 miles to go, I ran past a man waiting at a bus stop. He was smiling at me. Surely, this was God's way of encouraging me. He sent me a cheerleader in the form of a random stranger.

"This is the worst time of day to be running," he said. Some cheerleader.
I smiled back at him, sarcastically, and said, "Yep. 15 miles though. Almost done." So I ran. Harder. To prove to Mr. I-Know-Everything-About-Running wrong.

After I finished, I thought about the guy that had unknowingly motivated me to finish well. And I realized... sometimes, God sends us what we need, even if it's not what we want.

I wanted happy feelings. Someone to give me platitudes and wish me well. To smile and tell me that, even after 13 miles, I was still glowing. (HA. that would have been lies).

But, really, I needed truth. It motivated me. It wasn't what I wanted, but the truth that I don't want to hear, is usually the one I need to hear the most.

I'm grateful to have people as constants in my life (not just random strangers) that are willing to do that for me.
Who remind me that I'm good, but not that good.
Who tell me that I'm not in charge of saving the world.
Who speak the truth that in the middle of the toughest stuff, we serve a big God.
And who want to shave my cat. But whatever. Nobody's perfect.