A Marathon

This is my brother Wayne. Which by the way I do not have permission to post a picture of. I thought it better to ask forgiveness than permission! In high school they called him "Captain Billy Boogie." Why you ask? Because he was such a fast runner. He was a legend. I don't know how many of you grew up with an older sibling being a legend, but it is tough. Somehow you are always looked at with hope that just maybe you could be a legend like them too.
So my first day of Algebra my freshman year I had the Football and Track couch as a teacher. He is calling role and he gets to my name. He calls out Dawnell Hall.....pause....."not Captain Billy Boogie Hall?" I reply with, "who is captain billy boogie?" He asks me if I was Wayne Hall's sister as he was approaching my desk. He asks me to stand up as he gives me a look over and then asks me if I run? I tell him I don't think I am capable of becoming much on a track but he insists I come on out to run for him.

Fast forward...WHY I showed up for track practice is beyond me. All the coaches are there with their time watches to see what "captain Billy boogie Jr's sister could do" I have to say I was quite a let down. I was not horrible but definitely not a first placer! However, I found myself a place as a sprinter and a shot and disk thrower. One thing I never became was a distance runner. If the run went beyond a mile I was throwing up.
　
Much of what God calls us to takes some sort of running. Sometimes it is a sprint and others it is a marathon. We see in 1 Cor. 9: 24-27 that Paul refers to our Christian life as a run for the final prize. I have learned however that life can be broke up into segments of that race. It seems early in my walk with God he gave me sprints and as I mature in my relationship with Him the runs gets longer and longer.

I Corinthians 9:24-27 says, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

It has been hard to write for awhile because quite honestly my heart is heavy and my head is swimming. There have been so many things lately that have cast so much doubt to weather or not this is ever going to be a reality. If the raising of $30,000 dollars were not enough, we have been hearing rumors about a major slow down in Ethiopian adoptions. We have heard that what was a 9-12 month process could become substantially longer. Although we are happy that Ethiopia wants to make adoption in their country protected we mourn thinking that so many orphans may have to live in orphanages for so long of their life. We also feel so nervous not knowing what the process will look like for us. As for now it looks like I have to run as if I am in a sprint but train as if I am in a marathon. I am running hard to work toward the financial goal and yet preparing my heart for a long wait. I am asking God to give me endurance of faith and hope so that I have the attitude he wants me too for the long haul. We have so many friends we want to thank for running with us.