Linda
Down discovered real power when she needed it. She had dealt with the
limitations of cerebral palsy all her life. One day, she got this crazy
idea of running the New York Marathon. But Linda walked with difficulty,
so running seemed out of the question? She used Canadian canes with
arm clamps to steady her arms. On top of this she was 25 pounds overweight
and jobless. In a state of depression, she began reading in the scriptures
about the power of God at work in people's lives.
She read
Phil. 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens
me." While training, she listened for God. She thought as she was
running in the dark at night: "Faith is the assurance of things
hoped for, the conviction about things not seen" (Heb. 11:1) She
thought about her limited dreams, her inability to see beyond the obstacles
of life. Faith, she said to herself, was running in spite of the insurmountable
obstacles.
As the
NY Marathon began that cold morning, some ten years ago now, she wore
gloves on her hands to soften the impact of the crutches. It was windy
on the bridge and uphill. She had not expected the beginning to be so
difficult. As she finished the mile_long Verrazano Narrows bridge, there
were no runners in sight ahead of her. Spectators were gone for the
most part. But one little girl ran out into the street and cheered her
on, "You can do it!" Others on the curb later applauded and
cheered and shouted. They brought tears to Linda's eyes and helped her
to keep going.
Ten hours
later Linda was still running in the dark through dangerous neighborhoods.
Some admiring spectators walked with her for safety. Then an ABC_TV
camera crew showed up and followed the story of her courage. She continued
to run. She wore a hole in one sneaker from dragging it across the ground;
her hands ached and throbbed; her arms became black and blue and swollen;
she couldn't speak to anyone because of fatigue, but she continued to
run because she prayed: "I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me...I can do all things."
Then two
parks and recreation trucks in Central Park came by and stayed with
her to light the way. After 11 hours of struggle and over 27 miles,
Linda crossed the finish line. People were crying __ even the TV crew
was crying __and Linda was crying at the response and support that she
had received from God and these people. She thanked God for the power
to do such a thing. Later she was invited to the White House and was
pictured on the front page of the New York Times.
