When I first began mulling over what to write in this post, I imagined it would be a full recap of the entire event from start to finish. Instead, I realized that while I do want to capture some specific memories of that incredible day, it is more important to me to articulate the lessons I gleaned from the whole experience.
So first, here are some details that I want to remember:
- The weather was supposed to be rainy and awful. I had watched the forecast like a hawk all week, but never really freaked out about it. I prayed and knew that beyond that, there was nothing that could be done. When I stepped out of the shower around 4:15am the morning of, I heard it pouring outside. I frustratingly vented to God as I pulled up the weather app on my phone. It read 5am: 30%, 6am: 30%, 7am: 30%, 8am: 0%. No joke. The very start time of the race had a ZERO percent chance. It was if God was telling me, "I have told you a thousand times that I've got this. Trust me." And He did have it. It sprinkled a bit during set-up and break-down, but not a single drop fell during the races. Amazing.
- The incredible sense of calm as Sarah (my Fundracers point person) and I drove around the neighborhood in the dark in a golf cart marking the course before dawn. As we drove, we prayed for the event as we'd done so many times before. I was excited but calm and in proper "event mode", which can't be attributed to anything but the Holy Spirit's peace.
- The overall spirit and sense of community was almost palpable. Watching neighbors introduce themselves to others and strike up conversations and then later cheer one another on was just the neatest! Beyond raising money and awareness for Street Grace, this was about building community in our neighborhood. It's cheesy, but I was literally watching my dreams come true.
- Getting to run the Fun Run with David, Luke, Audrey, and David's parents and having my family cheer on the kids. Audrey and Luke had been hearing about this for so long and had sacrificed time with me while I worked on it. They even put in time serving by putting up and taking down signs, making posters, stuffing bags, etc. Watching it come to fruition through their eyes was just as cool as seeing it myself.
- Everything ran smoothly, even when it didn't. There were a few hiccups, but we all rolled with it and everyone kept their cool. I've done enough events to know this is not something to take for granted.
- After the race, I received an email from one of the board members who had never been supportive of the event. In the note, he congratulated me and complimented how smoothly it went and how clean the areas were post-race. From him, these were hard-earned nuggets of gold.
- My friends and family are just amazing. They are truly the BEST. Over and over again I was reminded of this. Sweet friends stayed late with me on Friday night while I was waiting for t-shirts to arrive so we could finish stuffing bags. Some drove for hours to be a part of it. Some gave hundreds of dollars. Some got up at 5am or earlier to come out, point people in the right direction, and cheer because they knew that simple act could help make all the difference to participants. Professional t-shirt design and photography were possible because of generous friends. So many prayed. So many listened and encouraged. So many believed in this and showed up, ready and willing. Simply put: I could not have done this without David and our small group, friends, and family and I will NEVER forget that support.
And in case you missed me shouting it from the rooftop, here are some stats from the race:
- Over 100 people came out to participate in the 5k and Fun Run
- $2,500 was raised for Street Grace
- 30+ volunteers came out to stuff bags, set-up, check-in registrants, cheer and guide participants, provide music and sound, hand out water and bananas, break-down, and clean up
- 20 businesses sponsored the race
And finally, the Top 5 Life Lessons I learned from putting on a 5k:
1) A courteous and prompt "no" is almost as nice as a "yes." I learned this from asking 50+ businesses for sponsorships. If they couldn't/wouldn't do it, the next best thing was respecting me enough to tell me quickly so I could move on and not waste my time with 2-3 follow-ups. In fact, I found myself nearly hugging several business owners after they'd just flat out said no. I now try to take that respect into consideration when I know I have to turn others down!
2) Don't assume. (You know what they say about that.) People you thought would be a sure thing may not be and those you almost didn't approach could come through in a huge way. You'll never know if you don't ask.
3) God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called. Cliche? Yes. But OH so true. And if you are operating under your calling, WHEN (not if) adversity crops up, it's a lot easier to deal with. Not easy, mind you, but easiER.
4) Keeping calm really does make all the difference. In event planning, as in life, things are going to go wrong. Something will happen, whether big or small. You can do everything in your power to plan, prep for, and attempt to prevent this, but when it does occur, your attitude about it is everything. As a leader - be it in the home or elsewhere - that attitude is contagious. If I had freaked that the music was late or complained about a screw-up, the entire tone of the event could have been very different. You don't have to be flippant, but you do need to stay positive and in calm control of the situation if you want the outcome to be the best it can be. (If only I could remember this when my three year old loses his ever lovin' mind over a missing acorn.)
5) Celebrate the heck out of a victory. I mean really milk the thing for all it's worth. One of the very best lessons I learned from my grandmother was to "work hard, play hard." I built in several big and small celebrations months in advance so I could look forward to them and to ease the post-event funk. The older I get, the more I realize how important it is to stop, celebrate, and reflect on the awesomeness of a big accomplishment before just plowing ahead to the next goal. Taking that down time gives you pause to appropriately thank God and others as well as giving you a chance to refuel yourself.
So that's it. That's the gist of the day plus what I learned from the whole experience.
I don't know if there will be a second one next year (hint: probably). Even if this was a one-time deal, however, I am so glad I said yes to God's calling. It was not easy and was often met with hurdles and push-back from our HOA board. Even when they finally came around, I had sponsors let me down and registrations were so slow that I wondered if anyone would show up. And yet, people came through and numbers rolled in last minute just as everyone told me they would.
God was faithful time and time again and showed up in a bigger way than I could have ever imagined. And just in case I didn't express it enough, there is no way I could've done this without my family, friends, small group, and neighbors. I keep trying to put it into words, but I know I'm falling short. The bottom line is that I am grateful and forever changed by the experience!
My awesome small group presented this to me the week after the race. Aren't they just the sweetest?! It was so thoughtful and meant a great deal.
There may have been some choking up...it was all David, though.
There may have been some choking up...it was all David, though.
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