The Van Halen lyrics were running through my head as soon as Keegan received his race number...the dreaded 666! I'm quite sure there are lots of people here in the bible belt that would have refused to compete with such a number. This mother and son just said "whoa" and shared a good natured chuckle. No time to get distracted. Keegan was on a mission to qualify for this year's Peachtree Road Race and, in order to do that, he had to run his very first 10k in under 42 minutes!Exactly 1,621 people lined up to run the course in Sandy Springs, Georgia. I can't help but beam when I see my 6'1" fifteen year old take his place at the front of the pack...my heart still does prideful flip flops when I watch him doing his warm-up sprints...and it always beats a little faster in the seconds just before he takes off on his racing journeys. On this day, I begin my usual prayer for him as he is standing waiting for the starter's gun to sound. On this day, I blink back tears as I open my eyes to find his eyes closed...quite obviously in prayer himself...in the midst of a loud throng of anxious runners.
Then, they're off...and so am I. I hurry back to my car and drive a couple of exits away to the finish line. This mother will never tire of watching her son run. Keegan gives me so very many reasons to be thankful and proud and this is just one of them, but watching him run is extraordinary. Keegan Kyle - running tall.
Well, as I said, we were at this particular event with a goal in mind...and that goal was only going to be met if he crossed that finish line in 41 minutes and 59 seconds or less. I did my usual pacing as I kept my eye on the big time display. The number one runner came in at an impressive 30:48! I knew I could relax for a few more minutes... When the time clock hit the 35 minute mark however, I knew it was time to talk with God. This time I enlisted the help of angels...asking God to send them to surround Keegan. I visualized these angels doing everything from carrying Keegan, blowing on him in such a way that he would be propelled forward, even fastening wings on his feet. The clock, of course, kept ticking away...39 minutes and counting...and, I must confess (oh, me of little faith), I was formulating the "Hey, you did your best and I'm proud of you for that" consolation speech in my mind...just in case. One hundred people had crossed the finish...my heart was about to sink...until my tall, dark and handsome boy appeared in full sprint. He crossed the line at 39:52.38...victory achieved.
I cherish sharing these experiences with my son. This particular race, however, offered us an opportunity to share our faith with each other too. When I related to Keegan how I prayed - describing how I pictured the angels around him - his eyes lit up. He asked me, expectantly, to tell him exactly when I had begun to pray. Apparently at that 35 minute mark he was about to give up - he was spent. Then, he said he had a burst of energy that allowed him to sprint the rest of the way in! We reveled in that for a few moments and, as we walked back to the car, Keegan said, "Mom, you know who I was running for today, don't you?" I knew the answer in my spirit...but it felt so good to hear my teenager tell me, "I was running for God".
Keegan says he flat-out destroyed old "666" on Saturday...I'd have to say I agree...not only because he finished 104th out of 1,621...but because he gave God ALL the glory!
