OTTAWA MARATHON - PRESS ON TO THE GOAL

OTTAWA MARATHON

27.05.07

PART TWO

IT’S ALL ABOUT PEOPLE

Not just to run a marathon

Not just to run for a medal

Not just to run…but to run with a different motivation…a different purpose

“Running” beyond the finish

Running as an avenue to reach out to people

Using the gifts you have, the talents and the abilities to serve Jesus Christ. In all things, acknowledge and honour Jesus.

Runners are often alone and feel alone. How to relate to other runners? As a Christian we also want to use this aspect to reach out to other runners, to help others and to relate to those who do not know Jesus as their personal Saviour.

I have been asked by other runners, “Albert, how do you use running to serve Jesus, to glorify Him?” My primary purpose is to reach out to people and raise money for charity.

Here are some ‘stories’ about the Ottawa Marathon weekend.

Edna had taken mw to the Winnipeg airport quite early on Friday, since she was scheduled to work just when my flight was leaving. So, I spend a few hours in the Winnipeg airport. I had time for some pre-race anxieties to set in – flights, ride to the hotel, how I would feel during the run…

During the flight I was quiet (unusual for me), but as we came closer to Toronto I started talking to the lady sitting beside me. I mentioned to her that I was headed to Ottawa for the marathon. Three guys next to us overheard this, and at the Toronto terminal they came and introduced themselves, they were also heading for the Ottawa marathon. My whole attitude changed and I looked forward to the race. Just that brief connection had done wonders.

Upon arrival in Ottawa I needed a ride to my hotel. The Airporter bus driver offered me a ride for $14.00. I thought the price was high, and asked him some more questions. He told me the return trip was $24.00. So I said, okay, take me to the Econo Lodge Hotel on Rideau Street. During the 20 minute drive he played beautiful classical music, always turning down the volume at intersections. He was a good driver and we chatted quite a bit during the drive. I told him he was a good driver. He said, “Many people say that.” I thanked him for his services and gave him a Bible along with the payment for the trip. I told him that I love the Lord Jesus, and he told me he would read the Bible. He was from Colombia. What a joy to meet new people.

It was quite late by the time I got to the hotel, and I needed to get some food. I inquired at the desk and they recommended the Swarma restaurant across the street. The menu did not offer the Mennonite sausage or borscht; rather it was a Lebanese restaurant offering pita, kebabs, Greek salad with sheep cheese and olives. It was great food. There were also a variety of people in this restaurant – Lebanese, Africans, white, black some with turbans, some with kerchiefs…I enjoyed getting to know the young people in the restaurant.

Eventually I got back to the hotel and to my room…OH NO!...this was a smokers room and it stank! I told myself I could handle this and turned on the air conditioner fan. I grew up with second hand smoke, my dad was a chain smoker all his life, so this was nothing new to me. I had just been away from it for 37 years.

Just before I race I usually spend quite some time in prayer, asking God to help me physically and spiritually. To allow me to do my best and to use me to His honour and glory. I sensed His presence for my spirit became more peaceful, relaxed and more confident. I usually try to memorize scripture for my long races, and also I pray for many of my friends during the running.

I had trained and so now all I had to do was run the race and enjoy it.

In the last 5 km I was smiling at the people along the route, and I notice that when you smile at them, they smile back. It sends a message and it is contagious.

I got to watch Catherine Ndereba run the Nordian 10 km race. Some of our AIA staff personally know her. She spoke at one of the pre-race events on Friday, but I as not able to be there. I had been in touch with our AIA staff in Ottawa and they organized a greeting to her with a gift. Ryan was able to meet her personally at the place where she spoke and hand over a card and gift from AIA.

Ray Zahab lives only 10 minutes from Ottawa. He had been in touch with me after he crossed the African desert. He ran 4000 miles from Senegal to the Red Sea across the Sahara Desert in 111 days together with 2 other extreme ultra-marathoners. He was also speaking at one of the pre-race events, but then flew to Saskatoon that same day to speak at a pre-race event there. So I was not able to meet with him as we had hoped to do. However, he and I do want to meet and get to know each other better.

Coming back to Winnipeg after the marathon I hung that huge medal around my neck. This was a conversation piece, beginning right at the security people in the airport. When the security personnel was about to frisk me, I warned him that I had just completed a marathon and had not had an opportunity to shower. This opened up a conversation and we both laughed.

“Did you win in the Olympics?’

“How long is a marathon?”

Sitting in the plane, there was a man next to me who needed to share his life story. My medal opened the conversation and he told me he was normally shy and did not talk to people he did not know, but this medal intrigued him.

The conversation went on from there and he shared his life story – a broken relationship, pain and sin and failure.

He was hurting badly and was about ready to cry. I listened. He told me he was 39 years old and needed to clean up his life and start over. He said he now knew why he sat with me. How could I help? I suggested some things to him, gave him my email address and promised to pray for him. I directed him to Jesus, the only one that can help him to ‘start over’.

How can we, as runners, help? The same way as anyone else, to love people, to listen to people, to point them to Jesus, to pray for those that do not know Him, to be there for them, to run the spiritual race, to endure and bring honour and glory to Jesus in all that we do.

Be yourself – in Jesus, and He will allow you to shine and sow the seeds of hope and salvation. It is not in vain. The Lord will bring about the results when the race is over. My TIME at the race was much greater than the clock time of 4.22.25.Take some time for other people, listen to the, Be genuine and care.

Albert No.3105