My parents had been Rving across the United States at the astounding rate of 10
miles per day. This “breath-taking” speed was necessitated by the fact that my
dad was crossing the country, from San Diego, California to Jacksonville,
Florida, on foot!
Their odyssey, lovingly christened “Hoofin’ it Coast to Coast at 65”, was the
realization of a lifelong dream, and my dad was well on the way to its
completion. He had already braved the desserts of California, Arizona, and New
Mexico. He had spent four dusty months putting Texas’ 892 long miles behind him.
He had whizzed through the whine of Louisiana’s mosquitoes in just 33 days, and
had traversed most of Mississippi’s highway 90. He would have crossed into
Alabama on his very next run, but a killer heart attack cheated him of his goal.
As I boarded the plane for Mississippi, the nightmare intensified. It haunted me
through the endless phone calls to family and friends, tagging along as I went
through the motions of making the incessant, gloomy arrangements. There were so
many decisions! What funeral home to use; which flowers to order; who would
perform the ceremony; what would be the order of service . . . Would it ever
end? But when it was finally finished, I found that the days had passed in such
a melancholic blur that even the memory of them was stolen from me!
One event, however, does stand out in my mind. It was the day my brother and I
ran dad’s final 10 miles. It was easy enough for him. He’s a marathon runner.
But for some insane reason, when he set out that Sunday morning, I was running
with him, and I was beaten before I started! The most I had ever run was 6
miles, and that was 15 years earlier! The idea of running 10 whole miles at one
time just about made me turn back after the first 50 feet. But in the distance I
could see the support vehicle—my parents’ pick-up—parked on the side of the road
at the first mile marker. I knew that my mom would be behind the wheel, loaded
down with water and Gatorade, high-energy snacks, and plenty of encouragement.
This sight was enough to get me through the first mile, and after a brief rest
and a drink, I was a new person, ready to attack mile #2!
I had often asked myself just what it was that had kept my dad going all of
those miles, but now I knew. It was sight of that support vehicle at each mile
marker. It was the knowledge that refreshments, smiles, and encouraging words
were never more than a mile away.
As I pondered this, I realized that this was a pattern he had followed
throughout his life. He had accomplished many impossibilities by breaking them
down into manageable steps. He had lived his life the same way he had covered
the distance from San Diego, California to Pascagoula, Mississippi: One mile at
a time!
I completed my dad’s final 10 miles that day, and more. When our finish line
left us just 8 ½ miles from the state line, my brother and I decided to bring
dad’s odyssey into Alabama. Though I rode out 4 of those last miles, the sense
of accomplishment nearly drowned out my aching limbs. I had done the impossible.
I had run 14 ½ miles, and I had done it one mile at a time!
Doesn’t Jesus encourage us to do the same? Matt 6:34 says: “Therefore do not
worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” The next time you
feel overwhelmed by the circumstances in your life, remember the lesson I
learned from my dad. Put your future in God’s hands and live you life the way my
dad did: One mile at a time!
Lyn Chaffart copyright 2004
Besides being a part-time Speech Pathologist, Lyn is a homeschooling mom who
writes devotionals and short stories in her spare time. She also serves as the
director of mini-sermons for Answers2Prayer Ministries ( www.Answers2Prayer.org
) and is webmaster for Scriptural Nuggets (
www.sermonillustrator.org/minisermons/ ). Besides writing for Answers2Prayer,
Lyn has also written devotionals and stories for Eternal Ink, write2theheart,
and the Sand Dollar.
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.