One letter and one word can make a huge difference. So can one weather forecast. Dave and I were in Indy for business, but I had timed my portion of the trip so I could run the Geist Half Marathon again. I needed redemption from last year’s humidity fest. I signed up thinking “There’s NO WAY the humidity can be worse!”
So like a good little runner, I dutifully checked the weather forecast every day the week leading up to the race. When we arrived in Indy Wednesday and after unexpected lightning, thunder, wind, and a torrential downpour the next afternoon, I started checking the weather hourly. Wasn’t looking promising for Saturday’s race. Then came the email from the race director warning runners of extreme heat conditions and to hydrate as well as slow down. Okay, even that didn’t phase me since I’ve received similar emails from other races I’ve run and lived to tell. But what really got me was this updated forecast after we got home from a fundraising event the night before the race:
100 percent humidity? What does that even mean? I had to google it. Basically, it means that the air is 100 percent saturated; it can’t hold any more water than that.
In the hundreds of race eves we have now spent together, I’ve never said out loud to Dave that I was thinking of not doing a race. That night, after much thought about the potential suffer-fest and discussing the humidity thing, I said out loud “I’m not feeling it.” To which Dave promptly replied without ANY hesitation “Then don’t do it!” I told him he would be a horrible coach. He was supposed to say “No, don’t be a wimp! You’re tougher than a little humidity. You always tell other people to not make excuses, persevere, and run for God! C’mon, you got this!”
I seriously would have run the next morning had he said all that. No joke. Now, I would’ve completely died and told him afterwards that he should’ve talked me out of it, but…
It’s such a rare thing for me to NOT race. It’s like I don’t know what to do with myself when I don’t. Racing has become such a huge part of my life, my health, my testimony, and my identity. The next few days in Indy, we had some unexpected challenges come up with our restaurants. Momentary panic ensued followed by complete exhaustion as I tried to step in to work the line and kitchen for a day. My feet hurt worse than any marathon I’d ever run. After a few more days in and around, I had a brand new appreciation for the food industry, our staff, air conditioning, and compression socks. In particular, I was humbled and touched by certain employees stepping up to the plate when they didn’t need to – but it made all the difference.
One of my primary roles with our restaurants besides social media and special events is recruiting. Usually, I’m doing phone interviews from California. Last week, I had the opportunity to meet potential candidates in person. There’s a huge difference when you’re interviewing a high schooler or a college student home for the summer versus someone needing full time, working two jobs to make ends meet and had to quit one of them because her child’s caregiver went to jail. And that caregiver was her mom. I also met a gentleman the same day needing a job with flexible hours so he could spend more time with his newborn. I lost count of how many times during his interview he stated he “just wants to be a good dad.” We recently lost an employee who I thought was the answer to all our prayers and completely wowed everyone initially. After a few missed shifts and showing up late, we found out the employee was working another job until 2am and didn’t have a car, so he was walking to and from work every day – in the freezing cold. Remember, this is in the Midwest. The physical demands took their toll as this strong, healthy, intelligent young person just couldn’t handle two jobs anymore.
When I think about the many candidates I’ve spoken to over the years who have shared with me probably more than they should have, it’s overwhelming and humbling. But it hasn’t always affected me that way. This last wave of screening, interviewing, and hiring got personal for me. So much so that on my first run back in California, I did something I’ve never done before. I wrote the names of these most recent candidates for our restaurants on my hand so I could pray for them each by name on my run. It was probably like twenty names. Knowing how much I sweat, I had to pray right from the start so the names wouldn’t disappear before I could get to them.
I didn’t know anything about any of these folks and wasn’t about to look up each resume while on the trails that day, but this prayer time wasn’t about job history. It was about asking their Almighty Creator to meet each one of them where they are and provide for their deepest needs in a way that causes them to turn their gaze from earthly struggles onto Jesus.
“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:2 NIV
I did also ask God to lead them to the right jobs if they weren’t the best fit for us. God demonstrated His love for these “strangers” that day by prompting me to pray for them. He simultaneously dealt with a few little issues I had been harboring called “pride,” its cousin “denial,” and its ugly nemesis “resentment.” Okay, it wasn’t little. It was over saturation – 100 percent at times like in that weather report. I couldn’t hold onto all the “junk” I’d let build up any longer. I had managed to grow a very unhealthy attitude toward our businesses. Notice I said “our.” Easy to say when things are going well. It’s kind of like when the kids are well-behaved, I have no problem saying to Dave “OUR kids are so awesomely perfect!” But when they disobey and cause all sorts of ruckus, I’m quick to say “Look what YOUR kids did!”
During my run and praying for this list of strangers written on my hand, God also addressed those issues I mentioned with this one verse:
“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” Colossians 3:23 NLT
Boom! And there you have it. Suddenly it all made sense. I had the wrong view of the ownership of our business as well as attitude toward those associated with it. So much so that I had let it become as stifling as a record high humid day in the Midwest. Our businesses are not “our” businesses; they’re God’s. Everything – including our staff and finances – comes under His authority and must be submitted and committed to Him. I am His direct report.
It’s hard to run well in humidity. God never promised perfect conditions for running, or really, for anything in life. He did promise that when we submit to Him our struggles, challenges, fears, doubts, pride, and stubbornness, we will be able to live and even run well.
Turns out that little prayer run last week was perfect training for this week’s VBS ministry. I was assigned to be a mentor to a group of middle schoolers. When I got the list of names, I counted 47. Over twice the number I had written on my hand the week before. From day one of VBS, certain kids stood out, and I immediately knew I had to pray for them. Every day, more kids grabbed my attention and my prayers. This morning I got to the church parking lot early to pray – and to avoid the parking lot mayhem of trying to get 1,000 students and volunteers in and out – but mostly to pray for my list of 47 kids by name. Did I know what to pray when I started? Nope. But I just asked the Holy Spirit to show me. And He did.
At the end of today’s VBS session, the kids and I talked about what went well and what needed improvement. Since my group of middle schoolers were serving as interns or helpers to the younger kids for the craft station, an overwhelming response was that some of the little ones weren’t listening to directions then didn’t know what to do when it came time to assemble their crafts. Ohhhhh, the many ways I can take that… Tomorrow’s lesson. Look out, kids. As for today, I focused on one middle schooler’s comment that he didn’t think the kids got the message behind the craft.
My response was that I have faith the Holy Spirit will do His job. What do I mean by that? I mean that these kids may not “get it” right at that moment or next week or next month. But the work that was put into that craft was not without purpose. One of the Holy Spirit’s job descriptions is to counsel and remind us of God’s word when we need it most to accomplish His purposes:
“It is the same with my word.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
and it will prosper everywhere I send it.”
Isaiah 55:11 NLT
Perhaps years from now when someone is cleaning out a desk drawer, that bracelet made at VBS with its intentionally ordered bead colors will be a reminder of Jesus’ love. Or the artwork displayed on the refrigerator reminds that child’s family members each time they go to grab a soda that Jesus cares about the details of their day. And certainly when they find glitter stuck to a shoe or sock from their Etch-a-Sketch book, they will remember God’s Story was written with them in mind. Hopefully, the next time I see a higher than normal humidity forecast, I will remember the lessons of humility God crafted just for me.
