Until he quit.
“I don’t like soccer. You have to run all the way down the field, then run all the way back again.” From then on, baseball was his true love, playing year round.
In eighth grade, his homeroom teacher, Mr. Allen, was also the cross-country coach. When AJ told us he was going to run cross country, my husband and I fell over laughing, literally. But when he started finishing in first place, we stopped laughing. Turns out that it was “useless” running that AJ didn’t like. All that down the field and back again with no scoring was boring. But running through the countryside or down streets toward a finish line – in increasingly faster time – was an achievement.
His high school coach, Mr. Apol, a model of what coaches should be, challenged and encouraged each student to better themselves according to their own ability. Cross country taught me so much about running the race of life, my early blogposts were peppered with XC stories. (Stay tuned for more on this next week!)
Now AJ, college student, is running the NJ Marathon! On Sunday May 1st, he will run 26 miles through several NJ shore towns. Once again, family and friends will be there cheering along the sidelines and at the finish line.
This time, he’s raising money for a summer mission trip to Uganda.
Now for the mom-pitch! Would you consider supporting AJ in this endeavor?
First, please keep him in prayer:
– that he would run well and finish well
– with no injury! (He’s been having some knee trouble during training.)
– that the weather would be favorable.
And second, if you feel so led, financial donations toward his mission trip go to Touch The World and can be made at:
Donations can be made in any amount large or small, flat or per mile.
He, and we, thank you in advance for your prayer and/or financial support.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith… Consider Him …, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Heb. 12:1, 3
ps – couldn’t resist adding this poem that AJ wrote and posted on facebook this morning:
and everyone knew
That twenty-six mile was
a whole lot to do.
My bones are all aching
my muscles all sore
Nervous cause no Panzica
has tried this before.
But I have a secret that
I want all to see
And that is my God
that lives inside me.
Cause when I cannot do it
and am falling apart
He holds me together
From my feet to my heart.