for "Sara Beth"

I sit here still sweaty after a short Sunday run on a hot Missouri day. It's funny the songs that entertain me while I pitter patter mile after mile. And I am certain that the average runner would delete my playlist and start over in their search for a more motivational selection. However, the songs I choose are what comforts my mind as it races mile after mile with thoughts. This morning those thoughts were for Sara Beth..

First of all, I must confess that I truly don't have any friends or acquaintances by the name of "Sara Beth", but I do believe that I have seen her in the faces of many people that I've known. I had to listen to the words of Rascall Fatts more than once this afternoon as I heard him sing of a little girl with a bruise that refuses to go away. He sings of how the doctor tells her we've caught it in time and 6 times in ten it won't come back again...and how Sara Beth closes her eyes. And I saw her there with her "too little for this eyes" as they closed. My mind painted a picture of Sara Beth as my feet ran for her and hoped that any trace of cancer in her body would be chased away...

And as I continued to run, I heard him sing of the hair that she gathered in her hands...more proof that she couldn't deny...and Sara Beth closes her eyes. Finally, he sings as she dances at her prom with her first true love and without a hair in sight on her "too tiny head". Her eyes closed once again celebrating the survival of the places that she's been as she danced for where she is now and for the new part of her life she gets to begin...

I believe that we sometimes forget those of us that are truly suffering because of the petty stresses that we believe we are facing every day. Everything from a spouse that's not perfect to a clock that moves too fast for the events we have planned for our days. We sigh at a little girl that refuses to keep a clean room when there are parents that wish their little girl had the strength to destroy her room every day. I say we step back for a moment, maybe even as we do our morning run and remember the blessings that the Lord has blessed us with for they are so many...

And when life does seem to be giving us more than we can handle; we should just close our eyes and maybe even pitter patter our feet...and think of a little girl that no matter how sweet...Had to face cancer and put up a fight..and dance at her prom on such a special night..with a little head that didn't have a hair...but she just closed her eyes and danced without a care...For if we really look beyond what we normally would see....We would be in awe of what God's given to you and me...thank him my friends and dance...