Why I Run

I often get asked why I run? Why would I put my body through the training to be able to do triahlons and marathons and ultimately IronMan. Why would anyone put themselves though this? Why would you give the most precious commodity the we all have in our lives - time. Why would you want to give when Crohn's, the disease racking your body every day, only wants to take.

Put simply I run because I can. I say that not out of any type of arrogance but out of the knowledge that there was a time in my life that I was bedridden and simply struggled with the basics of life - and the unfortunate knowledge that I may one day return to that state. So here I am, Carpe Diem & running because, and while, I can.

Those of you who know me, know that I do not wear my Crohn's on my sleeve. I know that it influences my life and my daily decisions, but I refuse to allow it to define who I am. I am not a Crohn's patient who is able to do all of these things - I am a man who does all of these things and manages a medical aspect of his life. It is also fun to talk to people who we have known since we moved to Dacula (3 years ago), who have had some involvement in our lives and then find out "oh by the way, you know I have Crohn's, right?" It just doesn't come up and I refuse to be known as "that guy with Crohn's" - wow, I'm rambling.

But there are times when God opens up the Crohn's door for us to be a support to family and friends who are potentially struggling with this horrible disease. One of those doors has been open recently with some new friends in our Sunday School class.

Their son has been a pretty sick little boy and the docs just can't seem to get a handle on what it is. Any of you with Crohn's or Colitis understand this process. Test after test after test. His next test is tomorrow morning at 6am - the dreaded scopes (need I say more). Please be in prayer for this family and pray that the doctors can find what is going on. Only then can treatment truly begin. The unknown is the hardest part, but there is a possibility that this is Crohn's or Colitis.

I don't know if any of you will be willing to take time to do this tomorrow morning - but I'm going ask. I have been running in the morning and tomorrow, am scheduled to run 4 miles. My commitment is to run these 4 miles in honor of Chase, because I know that tomorrow morning at 6am, he can not run. I feel strongly the need to run for those who can't. Tomorrow is my hill run day - so I will have 4 miles of peaks and valleys of one on one...Me & God time to pray for this little guy. Any of you willing to dedicate your morning run miles tomorrow to Chase and to pray for him while you run.

If you can't run early at his procedure time - then just run anytime during the day. His mom and dad need your prayers all day long, just as much as he does. Pray for their peace.

I pray that God will guide the hands of the doctors to find out what is wrong. I pray with all my heart it is not Crohn's or Colitis - I would wish this disease on my worst enemy. But if it is, Then I pray that God will provide the love and support that this young man and his family need... right now.

Why do I run.... I do it for those who can't.