As I sat along the marathon route in Wellesley on Monday, a man walked up to the route without a chair or blanket or snacks. He was clearly not planning on staying long. About fifteen minutes later he erupted into cheers. “Go Jennifer!” “That a-way Jen!” “You can do it!” “You’re amazing!” A runner turned to him and smiled. And then he started running – apparently to get the next spot where he could cheer on his wife.
There was a woman next to us who seemed indefatigable. As runners came by she shouted out to them – and at first I thought she knew their names. She didn’t. She was calling out whatever she saw on their jerseys. “Go Canada!” “Yay Smith!” “Mexico rocks!”
Across the street were some experienced spectators. They had noisemakers and signs in abundance. “You’re almost there!” “Keep going!”
Whether we’re running a marathon or simply living one, all of us need people in our corner, people who will cheer us on, people who will encourage us when we’re thinking we might just give up.
So it’s cheers to the cheerleaders! May you have one. May you be one.
In Christ,
Pastor Jen