This time last year I was training for a half marathon while pregnant with Mia and Livie. I was planning to run the full distance when I found out I was having twins. Needless to say, my half marathon run quickly turned into a half marathon walk, with minimal running involved and ample bathroom breaks! But, I did finish and it felt great to do it with my girls! It is a special memory I will always have and one that I can share with Livia Joy one day. I think it will be pretty neat to tell her that she participated in a half marathon with her twin sister!
The purpose of the run was to raise money for Breanna's House of Joy, A home for hill tribe girls in the Northern part of Thailand. This ministry was started by my parents in honor of their daughter (my sister), Breanna Joy.
Most of my family was able to participate in the run and the hope was to make this a yearly fundraiser. Unfortunately, this year the run filled up so fast that we were unable sign up.
So, we decided to sign up for a run right here in Boston!
Our hope is to raise money this year to build a garden on the Breanna's House of Joy property in honor of Mia. We have been researching sustainable farms and have become interested in this idea. We have spoken with people who have been quite successful with this type of farm, specifically in Thailand. We hope to designate an area of the garden that is a peaceful, tender place where girls can get away and experience quiet, intimate times with Jesus.
Since Mia's death, we have wanted to do something special to remember her and honor her life. We thought this would be a meaningful way to do that.
The half marathon is next weekend, May 30th, and we have been training pretty intensely for the past few weeks. Last weekend I did my first 10 mile run; I ran through Boston and into Cambridge. Towards the middle of my run I found myself running the very same path I walked nearly every day for the last 4 weeks of my pregnancy and the first 3 weeks of Livia's life. My heart was aching with grief and my eyes stung with tears as I rounded the bend through the hospital property. At that moment I thought I might need to stop and collapse into a heap of tears, but something pushed me to keep going. It was the same thing that has been pushing me through the past 10 months. A still small voice. . . .beckoning me to fall into his arms and give him my deepest hurts, my deepest longings and trust him to make them beautiful. So, I kept running and it felt good. It felt good to release it back to him (as I do every day) and keep pressing on.
Last year I ran a half marathon with both my girls. This year I run for my girls.
The reason we chose a garden to honor Mia is because a garden can be messy and dirty and downright ugly in the beginning, but with tender care and gentle pruning it transforms into something beautiful.
May God continue to comfort, encourage and strengthen us so that we can reflect his beauty in all things.
Amen.
3 comments:
Hi Amy,
How/Where can we donate money?
oh Amy, what a gift that garden will be to these girls. I can't imagine the depth of your loss, but I have found such encouragement in you sharing, and i know that God will use beauty to speak to little girls in Asia. I am confident Mia's garden will be a place where hearts are drawn to Jesus. Thanks for sharing.
So sweet Amy! A garden is such a great idea. I hope the run went well. Love, Ashley
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