I would like to start writing about my experience in Kenya this year with one of the most personally powerful experiences I had while there this year. I shared this story with our group during our de-briefing session on one of our last days in Kenya, but would like to elaborate and expand upon it here…..
When I was 17 years old, I left my faith. I felt no connection to God, and couldn’t continue to stay in something I didn’t believe in. For the next 20 years I continued down my own path, carving out my own beliefs and convictions through life experiences, but in no way was I connected spiritually to anything….
In Jan 2007, my little sister and best friend was hit by a car accidentally while she was jogging. She had no ID on her, and I remember watching the news story that night about it, and felt in my heart it was her, but didn’t want to believe it. It wasn’t until my Mom called me early the next morning asking me if I knew where she was, that I knew it was her on the news the night before….
As we kissed her and whispered our goodbyes into her ear before we took her off life support, I bent down and whispered to her ” I love you sis, but it should have been me…”, and I cursed God for what he had allowed to happen.
I few months later, I started to come to the realization that I wanted to do more with my life, and in wanting to try to connect with my community and feel meaning and purpose, I started running 5K’s in my sister’s memory. Which brought me to the World of Difference 5K in Sept 2008. I remember when I first told Ranger and Jodi about the circumstances surrounding how I found out about their organization, they commented on how funny it was that life works in the way that it does…..
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THE NIGHT WE ALL REMEMBER
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Isaac & I |
That was a fantastic post. You’ve found something positive out of tragedy.
Is that the only way forward?
I think it has to be.
That was very beautiful, Scott. Thank you so much for sharing such a personal part of yourself.