A Little Encouragement...

This last weekend I ran the Cowtown Marathon. Maybe saying I "ran" it is a bit misleading. I ran-jogged-walked-limped it. It was my worst marathon ever! The race, anyways. My first 3 races, my time, endurance, motivation, training, and even recovery always improved. This time...they all crashed to the ground like a fat guy falling off a ladder. A really fat guy. And a REALLY tall ladder! But ironically, I was never more encouraged and blessed by friends and family there cheering us on and keeping us going. At one point I even thought, "I hope I don't see them again because I'll have to keep going!" I'll share more about my race experience later, but with this post I wanted to give you a window into the world of the little Encourager that lives in my home and constantly lights up my day: my daughter.

Saturday morning we were getting ready to head to Fort Worth. Nathan was going to run the 5K - his first race ever! I was getting out of the shower and I saw a note card come sliding under the bathroom door. I picked it up and this is what I read:

Dear Whoever finds this,

Yes, I can write in cursive. And if you find this where I think you will, you might be on the toilet. So let me say this in the most clear way possible: cheer very hard for Nate, Mom, and Dad. 

Love, Libby

There probably isn't a week that goes by I don't find a note of love, encouragement, or affirmation purposefully hidden away somewhere so I'll find it at just the right moment. Her heart is enormous! And I'm trying to let it influence me to live this way toward others. And those friends I mentioned earlier are pretty great too! Many of them drove all the way from Kansas just to hang out with us, chase us down the road with Tootsie Rolls, carry our discarded sweaty running clothes, and cheer us on. It was awesome! I really don't know if I would have even finished if it wasn't for them.

Who has encouraged you lately?

Who are you setting your sights on to lift up and encourage today?

Remember, a little encouragement goes a LONG way! (26.2 miles, to be exact!)