Kayaks on the roof, luggage packed in and sweet Travel Baby buckled up, we set off on our way back south. I said a prayer of thanksgiving as I closed Cabin Number 3’s door behind us for the final time, only a little lump in my throat. The dismal weather made leaving a little easier.

Exaggerated smiles and levels of alertness! “Ten hours to go! Yay!!!” (Look at Norns in the mirror!! 😄)

The Mackinac Bridge was engulfed in a heavy blanket of fog. You can see Mackinac Island off on the horizon. Unfortunately that’s all I got to see of it this year ~

The suspension cables faded off into the atmosphere, furtively ascending to the top of each shrouded tower.

On our way up to Michigan we had planned on stopping to meet a family that follows the blog, but we were unable to coordinate in time. Fortunately on our way back we were able to get in touch with each other and pulled off for a brief meeting! It was so exciting and wonderful to meet you and your beautiful family, Lisa!!!

Nora loves meeting her fan club!!! Maybe one of these days we’ll get a tour bus and she can go out on tour and meet everyone! We’ll make sure the bus is amphibious so she can do a world tour to visit her international friends too! She did SOOOO good in the car!

Shortly before we set off on our journey, a crazy-incredible Kate R. set off on a journey of her own in the Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Run. While our hundreds of miles were spent in the comfortable luxury of a motor vehicle, Kate’s 100 arduous miles were traveled by foot! She was accompanied by her brother Jack, her cousin Sean and a sheet of paper with 100 reasons to keep running — 100 prayer requests from various family and friends.

Throughout the rest of our trip home I checked in on her progress through Burning River’s website and through her Operation Run 100 Facebook page. This page chronicled all of her training through all of its ups and downs. I will admit I am not the best at keeping up with my FB newsfeed, so a lot of it I had missed. I read through each post from the beginning, gaining a whole new appreciation of how hard she’d worked for this. How and why would someone want to run 100 miles? Back in April she wrote, “The pull is one that to many, cannot be explained. It is the embracing of physical fatigue, countless discomforts, and extreme boredom in training and offering it all up as a way of saying “Thank you…for this glorious gift of life and this body that can endure so much.” It is trading sleeping in and late nights out every single weekend, taking slack from friends and family who don’t run (and therefore will never understand) and doing it anyway. It is seeking Jesus and finding him during the hardest runs and feeling as though He pushes you and then runs along side you. It’s knowing that your crosses in life are light and therefore not daring to complain about what is physically difficult in the moment.”

The day’s page in Jesus Calling was so perfect:

Coincidence???!!!! No such thing.

This was so much more than just the Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Run. Throughout her training Kate had selflessly woven a beautiful golden cord of hope through so many hearts and united us all in prayer over each mile. It was so much more than training to reach a goal! How honored and blessed I am to have been a part of that which gave her fuel to keep going!

After we arrived safely home, we unpacked Travel Baby and all of her accessories. Travel Baby was filthy from her travels!

“Is dat baff waters I hear????”

“Ahhh! It is!!”

The washer and dryer weren’t the only things still running as we tucked in to bed for the night. Kate was the last thing on my mind as I drifted off to sleep, and the first thing on my mind as I awoke in the morning.

Here she is taking off from Mile 85 (yes, I shamelessly stole these off of FB)~

Norns and I went out for a stroll in the crisp cool air that seems to have followed us back home (minus the aroma of pine 😞)

“I need my knee muffins bundled, please!”

Nora and I were almost home when I saw on my phone that Kate had COMPLETED THE 100 MILE RUN.

I was overcome with emotion when I saw these photos ~

“No caption needed, the smile and medal says it all!!” (quoted from Operation Run 100)

“Taking time to thank the big guy!” (quoted from Operation Run 100)

Kate? You are AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
(Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV)

We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us, in the order of Melchizedek.
(Hebrews 6:18-20 MSG)