Doing What Is Right

I stumbled across a quote from Martin Luther King Jr.
Cowardice asks the question, is it safe?
Expediency asks the question, is it political?
But conscience asks the question, is it right?
And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor political, nor popular.
One must take it because it is right.

A gift from a friend I wear on my left wrist. The words Isaiah 1:17 are always in front of me.
Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the case of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

Doing what is right can lead us to frightening and very dark places.
In my last race I ran past a symbol of darkness. A man dressed as The Grim Reaper stood beside a cemetery. A lady who ran this race was offended and she wrote "why the Grim Reaper, why not a cuddly Angel?"

As I thought of her question I saw a lot of my generations attitude towards big picture issues represented in her question.

Cuddly Angel issues are the issues our Governments, major Corporations, famous stars, and a majority of our everyday people involve themselves in. This issues receive a lot of publicity, and tons of funding. These issues do not involve people.

Grim Reaper issues always involve people. The hardest ones to deal with and to effect change involve children.
Children dying of A.I.D.S.
Children dying for lack of nutrition, water, or basic medical care.
Child Soldiers, and the sexual exploitation of Children for profit come to mind.


Doing right in my life has been dedicating a spring marathon to the exploited children in Cambodia as a means of raising funding and awareness. This picture is from the  Boston 2011 Marathon.

I run marathons to support a not for profit organization Ratanak International.

I run marathons to raise awareness for the more than two million girls worldwide who are forced into prostitution.

I run marathons to show my daughters that nothing is impossible, and that it is never okay to give up. Nothing and no one should stop us from pursuing a dream.

I run marathons because I can. The girls I run for sometimes can`t walk.

I run marathons because my father always told me "one man can make a difference." Running marathons has allowed me to try and be that man.

I run marathons because now that I`ve started, I can`t see myself stopping.

When I run marathons the pain I experience is temporary, but it reminds me of the pain these girls must bear. And the marathon training, in a very small way, reminds me of the girls everyday struggles.

Running an actual marathon is the most lonely, hopeless, and discouraging experience I can willingly suffer. Yet I know the girls I run for would love to trade places with me.

I run marathons because when my life is over the knowledge that many girls may have had a new chance at life will mean more to me than any title, position, or money I could earn.

Doing what is right is a long term commitment that at time bears little fruit.
The children I advocate for I may never meet. They may never be free.
I run marathons with no promise or certainty that my dream of the sexual exploitation of young children in Cambodia will end in my lifetime.

Last year I finished The Cleveland Marathon by running up Martin Luther King Jr. road, one of more than 700 such streets in America named after him.
Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated before his dream ever occurred, yet today Barak Obama is The President of The United States.

So if my dream is not fulfilled in my lifetime, maybe my children will see the day, or if not maybe their children.
So until that day I do what most people who run marathons do.
I keep running, one step at a time, never looking too far ahead, never looking too far behind.
I deal with life issues as they come and keep running, looking forward to the day my dream is realized.
For those who may want to make a donation.
click on 5kmwalkathon.com
My  participants name is Larry52

Larry

Not Today Grim Reaper Not Today

I realize this unique title might bring people to read my blog who would otherwise have different tastes. For those of you who mention I write too long the story of Mr Reaper is near the end.
After a week vacation I am back in Canada, refreshed and ready.
The 5km walkathon to benefit exploited children in Cambodia at Erindale Park in Mississauga on June 7 is less than two months away. We had our first donation $52, people who have visited the website (5kmwalkathon.com) know the significance of this number.
A serious minded power lifter from a Gym I used to belong to had a shirt that said "shut up and lift."
I am approximately six weeks away from my spring marathon and it is time for me to take the next month or so to "shut up and run."

March 29 I am in my house and anxiety overwhelms me for tomorrow I will attempt a 30 km race named The Around The Bay in Hamilton.

A series of "what if" questions start. What if I cannot finish? What if I am injured and cannot run my upcoming spring marathon? What if there is traffic and I miss the race? What if I am injured and have to miss or at least ruin part of my upcoming family vacation? These thoughts go on and on, this is one of the many differences between a race and a training run. I wonder why are my questions always so negative? Why can`t I ask positive questions? What if I run a personal best? What if the run seems too easy?

In 2012 I ran the same race in a time of 2 hours 26 minutes 22 seconds, keeping with tradition my anxiety probably keeps me from sleeping this much the night before I run.
The drive to Hamilton is uneventful and not for the first, and hopefully not for the last I am grateful for my tired supporters. My beautiful wife and two beautiful daughters have accompanied me.

The start of the race is uneventful and I am very calm as I walk to the starting line.

Keeping with tradition I pray as my father did at my first marathon "Lord may I run for your Glory."
I wondered what or who I would think about as I run.

2 km mark A young woman holds up a sign that makes me laugh. Her sign says "smile remember you paid to do this." I think to myself that sign would be better later on in the race.

3 km mark I think of a story I heard from my mentor recently. A young woman who had been victimized as a child in Cambodia had been rescued. After working her way through a couple of programs to help with her healing she had moved to another program designed to continue healing for the young woman of this program but also to help teach them skills to reintegrate themselves into society.
This woman had left the program telling my mentor that the pain the men had inflicted upon her she could deal with as she could disassociate herself from her time in the brothels. The pain involved in her healing process she could not take at the present time, it hurt her too much to deal with her past.
A sad statement, a sad moment for myself after hearing her story.

I dedicate this run to her.

5 km mark the wind gusts of 55 km/hr have been against me the whole race and running around Hamilton Harbour with the unblocked wind against me is going to be a big challenge.

7 km mark we are running up one side of a blocked off highway. A five foot median of concrete separates the runners from cars going the opposite way on the same highway. What is not blocked off is the little pebbles that these cars tires are shooting over the barriers directly into the runners, more than once I have to close my eyes to prevent rocks from entering them.

10 km mark I pass over the first timing mat.
In 2012 I ran this stretch in 47 minutes and 37 seconds. I see my time is 48 minutes 13 seconds and I say out loud "too slow" I am already off a Boston Marathon qualifying (B.Q.) pace, and I am very discouraged as I think of the challenges of some big hills later on in the race.

12 km mark I pass a man wearing a shirt with the name "Buffalo triathlon club" displayed. I am encouraged as I think of Neil Boron of WDCX Buffalo and all his listeners who have supported Ratanak International in the past. I look forward to receiving more of the same support in the weeks leading up to the walkathon.

15 km mark I pass the second timing mat.
In 2012 I was at 1 hour 11 minutes 21 seconds, this year I am at 1 hour 11 minutes 53 seconds, despite the wind and my earlier discouragement I am closing the gap on my previous race and I am now under a B.Q. pace.

20 km mark I pass the last timing mat until the finish line.
In 2012 I was at I hour 35 minutes 56 seconds, this year I am at 1 hour 36 minutes 7 seconds.
Pleasantly I am surprised that I seem to be getting faster as the race goes on. Mentally I prepare myself for the next 10 kms of hills which are equally as tough as the hills in the Boston Marathon.

24 km mark a small person is by the side of the road, I read in an  magazine article that he is there every race. He has a stereo system as tall as himself and plays music from the rock band Queen. I high five him as the exact same song as the last time I ran blares at me. As I start up the biggest hill of the race the words "we will we will rock you" follow me.

Words from the group named The Band Perry

If I Die young

If I die young, bury me in satin
Lay me down on a bed of roses
Sink me in the river at dawn
Send me away with the words of a love song

Lord make me a rainbow, I`ll shine down on the others
They`ll know I`m safe with you
When they stand under my colors
And I`ll be wearing white, when I come into your kingdom

I realize that the young woman I dedicated this race to, abuse at such a young age has taken her spirit away I see how it can be like a death.
Tears well up in my eyes and I yell out "He will He will crush you!"  I think of the words from Genesis 3 vs 15 talking about how the serpent will strike at Jesus`s heal but Jesus will one day step on and crush the serpent`s head.
The wind picks up again and I wryly think to myself can`t the wind at least let up on this hill?

27 km mark the hill is finished and I see an act of kindness in the running community. A fellow runner lost his balance and fell down crossing a bridge, immediately two other runners picked him up and set him back on his feet. I thought of some of the events of the past two weeks I had attended. A community of like minded people who care and try to help the exploited children in Cambodia had gathered. I had trouble leaving these events as there was so much positive energy present.
I think of a Margaret Mead quote "never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it`s the only thing that ever has."

28 km I see his shadow, yes the grim reaper (a man wearing a costume) is back, standing across from the cemetery. Last race I was startled by him and actually had harsh words for him as some people falter near the end of a race and I thought the last thing they need to see is this guy saying "I see dead runners." Like the small person this man is part of the tradition of this race and I think to myself death is not always a bad thing. Death to sin, death to illness, death to abuse, death to greed, death to exploitation, death to death itself are all good things and one day will exist in a new kingdom in which the girls I run for will enter.
I high five the grim reaper and say "Not today!"

 

I enter Copps Coliseum and cross the finish line.
In 2012 I finished in 2 hours 26 minutes 22 seconds.
In 2014 I finished in 2 hours 26 minutes 15 seconds.
Despite the wind which was against the runners for 25 of the 30 km, despite a really bad start I improved by 7 seconds and if I am able to keep up this pace for a full marathon Boston 2015 would be a possibility.

I look over at my "familia" and pound my Heart and point to them. They willingly allow me to take the selfish pursuit of long distance running to try to make something beautiful come about. They lose hours of sleep for the races, as well as hours of quality time with their father leading up to a race. They have never complained once.

And as I view their lives I realize actions may indeed speak louder than words.
My wife is involved in a form of counselling, once she told me "the stories I hear you could not handle." She is right, I heard one story of abuse that gave me a sleepless night.
In the weeks leading up to the race one daughter wrote a monologue of a free girl taken into a life of slavery and how the girl would feel. The other daughter picked the topic Child Soldiers for her speech at school.

The what if questions have all been answered. I am not injured and familia we trade ice packs for ice cubes, road salt for ocean salt. Yes tomorrow we will go to Punta Cana for a family vacation.
I was most looking forward to trading my bath tub filled with epsom salt for my healing, to God`s bathtub of salt for healing, the Ocean.

 

Larry

 

To The Pain

This writing was finished on International Woman`s Day, hopefully in the future the children that I am advocating for will be able to celebrate this day.

 

In the movie The Princess Bride the villain and the hero faced off in a duel. As they touched swords the villain said "To the death." while the hero countered "no, to the pain."

 

To the pain of knowledge:

 

Ecclesiastes 1:18

For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;

the more knowledge, the more grief.

Currently 30 million people live in our world as slaves. An estimated 2 million children are being forced to work as sex slaves.

 

The media uses it`s freedom of expression to tell the graphic stories of young children being murdered. Lately  I read about Tori Stafford, before her sad story I read about Russel Williams, Paul Bernardo, and others I have forgotten about mercifully. Each story told what the victims faced before death, and I wonder why publicize this? Why not show mercy to the families of the victims? Are we not creating the possibility of giving ideas to the people who think about this type of thing?

 

From what I hear thousands of men go to the less developed Countries and use their financial might to purchase young children for illegal sexual acts. Despite the fact that these men are committing serious crimes only a very small percentage ever get caught and are punished.

Many times for the few who do get caught the punishment does not match the severity of their crimes.

 

To the pain of rejection:

 

I ran one evening and had to change up my course due to the rapidly approaching darkness.

I ended up running past a Church I had not seen in the last four years. This church was on my training runs years before and I thought to run right up to it as I had in the past.

The sidewalk had not been taken care of all winter so a huge valley of ice and snow kept me

from approaching the Church.

 

I thought in some ways this is symbolic of some Churches and some people who attend these Churches, in that they sometimes put up walls and barriers that prevent the people who need to be there from coming, and how they also ignore the issues that matter most.

I thought of a book I read by Philip Yancy and the story he told of a prostitute who was encouraged to seek help from Christians at a Church. She responded "that is the last place I would go."

 

Last year before I ran The Cleveland Marathon the story broke of the three girls held captive for ten years. The course took me along the street they were kidnapped on, I ran less than two blocks away from the house they were held captive in. I sent some information to a Christian radio station in Cleveland explaining my reason for coming to Cleveland to run in their marathon. I never had a reply.

 

The church I mentioned earlier was significant to me a few years ago. I was training for my second marathon and on my long runs I would stop, put my hands on the building and pray that this congregation would learn about the suffering children in Cambodia and act upon their knowledge. The day before the marathon I sent a copy of a story mentioning the reason why I run marathons that had appeared in the paper. I included what I had prayed for this Church and included some contact information. Again no reply.

 

Helping out at a table after a Conference in which Ratanak International had a speaker I was approached by a young man, a youth Pastor who was all fired up by what he had heard.

I was surprised by his positive response to the message as my experience to that point had not seen many Pastors this enthusiastic which in turn surprised him as he remarked "this would be a ministry Jesus would be involved in."

 

To balance things out many Churches are involved very positively in these areas of pain.

My former church has many services and people I am still close to who help out with Ratanak, some host their own events. Many are my biggest encouragers and supporters.

The church I call home has a campaign to help children in Africa who have AIDS. I believe they have given over One million dollars.

 

To the pain that comes before healing:

 

Pavlov had an experiment in which he would ring a bell and then proceed to feed some dogs. He found by ringing the bell even without food the dogs would start to salivate.

I have a fear even greater than hearing what my youngest daughter thinks about my running performances.

 

A very short, petite Asian lady in her small voice says "Larry focus on your breathing." and my whole body tenses up, sweat starts to form on my brow.

The lady who says these words is my Registered massage therapist, these words signal to me that she has found an area of concern and the next two minutes or so are going to be very painful for me as her expert hands break up and spread out whatever potential problem she has found.

 

I once likened training for a marathon as running to the edge of a cliff and than stopping just in time. If you don`t train hard enough you may not finish the race as 10 percent of all runners entering a marathon. If you train too hard you risk injury and may not get to the starting line.

I do not look forward to my massage therapy, 50 minutes out of an hour are nice and relaxing, but the 10 minutes that I "focus on my breathing" hurt more than almost anything and yet without this I do not think I could have ran my last four marathons with very little side effects.

 

Two family members have had to go through the pain of chemotherapy and radiation which were awful dark times for both of them, yet today both are cancer free.

Sometimes the best counsellors are the ones who can relate best to the people they counsel.

Who can relate better to the feelings of an sexually abused person than one who has been there themselves?

 

To the pain of being broken or beaten for a cause:

 

My first choice to raise funding and awareness for Ratanak International was not running a marathon. One night while watching a boxing tournament put on by a Martial Arts instructor my family knew I thought of asking this man if he would put one on for Ratanak. During the boxing card I made a vow.

 

Vows are something to be taken very serious. My vow that I said to myself  was that I would be willing to take a beating if it would make a difference for the children in Cambodia. I thought this would be in boxing and started training again (I had boxed years before) and yet I never felt comfortable approaching this man about an event. Instead I started running in my Ravine and the rest as they say is history.

 

In Acts there is a story about a slave girl possessed by a demon who was telling the people all about Paul. The story goes on to mention how Paul cast the demon out of her. It is a story I have read many times without finding anything extraordinary.

Mark Buchanan in his book Your Church Is Too Safe describes this story in a way that I enjoy.

These are his words:

 

"And she`s nailed it. Not a word she speaks about Paul and Silas is anything but the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The town`s leading psychic gives them a robust endorsement. What evangelist would balk at that?

Paul did, he puts up with it for several days, but finally ... became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!

 

This is the gospel being preached. This is the liberation from the bondage to decay. The gospel is, among other things, this trouble in our hearts at a world that would exploit a little girl for financial gain. It`s this enlarging our hearts that makes us care about the spiritual condition and social plight of a girl, a sparrow, no one else cares about, even knowing full well what it will cost us to intervene.

 

What it costs Paul and Silas is a brutal scourging and an equally brutal imprisonment.  At some point the trouble in Paul`s heart became too heavy. He would not for one more moment flinch from the consequences of stepping in. He would, here and now, gladly be beaten and imprisoned in order to set her free. Paul and Silas exchange their freedom for hers. By their wounds, she is healed."

 

I know I will never feel as much pain as the girls I run for, and yet in my small way I do give my body every spring for one day to be beaten. Running a full marathon is as close as I can come right now to taking these girl`s places. I feel pain for more than a week some years after the marathon, and yet each step I take in pain reminds me of the ones I ran for. I will never know but my hope is that through my efforts that there is at least one girl in Cambodia who will be freed from her oppression.

One day I would love to hear the words "By your wounds Larry, she is healed."

 

Larry

Four short stories from a long winter

 In the book of Ecclesiastes Solomon says

 "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again, there is nothing new under the sun."

 Not to disagree with Solomon as everything in life probably does have a cycle but in my six years of running outside during the winter, this winter I have experienced three new things, and hopefully this cycle of weather does not return again for a long time.

 

 

 One morning a warm front came in on the heels of a very cold front. A heavy fog was the result.

 

 This was a day set aside for my long run so it was interesting to not be able to see more than ten feet in front or behind me, and yet I was able to run my planned route as the fog would clear just enough as I ran.

 I thought of the fog in terms of earlier in my life. I had goals, ambitions, and dreams for myself and my family. All worthwhile pursuits, but I was lacking something very meaningful.

  Michelle Lorimar used to be a worship leader at my former Church. These are her words from a song she wrote about getting to Jesus`s heart or in my opinion the moment the fog lifts.

 

 To those who seek your face

 You show your splendour

 You draw us near until we stand in wonder

 And as we gaze your beauty overflows

 

 To those who seek your hand

 You pour out blessing

 You break the bread and pour the sweetest wine

 You take the cup of sorrow and refill it with living water from the throne of God

 

 To those who seek your heart

 You share your sorrow

 You share your pain, your suffering and shame

 You seek the lost, the wounded and the weary

 You give us love to turn to them again

 

 O let me be consumed by love that suffers

 And send me out to minister your grace

 

 Finding Jesus`s heart for me came the day that I learned of the children who suffer in Cambodia and decided to act on this knowledge.

 The words from this song came back to me at a good time. I am ramping up my training. I am starting to feel "tired of being tired", and this will only increase as I get ready for my spring marathon. I have to plan each week in advance and hope the weather cooperates. Those closest to me will notice I am starting to have a little less patience than normal.

Yet while getting closer to the heart of Jesus does hold pain it also is the place of beauty and I have never regretted anything I have done while trying to accomplish His work. 

 

A fog also protects me now. Do I want to know my future? I don`t. Do I want to see negative experiences, events, forces and people waiting to harm me or my family? Again I don`t. What I have is a clear destination of travel that is revealed a little bit at a time not too much at once, same as my running in the fog.

 

 What did the Coyote say?

 

 This is a play on words as there was a very popular song titled What does the fox say?
 

 

 This is one of three signs on my path in the ravine. I had not paid much attention to it, although I know that coyotes frequent this ravine as I have read of coyotes attacking small dogs in Mississauga.

 One day I came across this in my ravine

 

 

 Fortunately for me middle aged runners were not on her menu this morning and the coyote ran off into the bush.

 I thought of the coyote as an enemy to the deer, rabbits, mice, beaver, squirrels, and birds I see during my runs.

 I thought of our reactions to people we view as enemies. If a traumatic event is involved fear may be present. Many times we are angry and bitter many years after an event. Sometimes we hate and despise whole races of people for events that have taken place in history.

 I thought of Jesus`s charge to us about our enemies.

 Matthew 5 vs 44

 "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

 Jesus lived up to this, as an example He prayed for God to forgive those who put him on the cross.

 I fall short of praying for my friends and family so please don`t ask me how often I pray for the people I consider my enemies.

 

 I than wondered what brought the coyote out on such a cold day? Probably the coyote was hungry? Possibly this was a female coyote who was pregnant.

 I felt sympathy for the coyote and prayed it would find a meal (although I asked for something that it would find that had just died of natural causes.) I realize my hypocrisy as I eat meat I have trouble when thinking of it being killed.

 What did the coyote say? Life is too short to hate and to carry grudges. If someone wrongs me or someone I love I believe God will have the final say, also I have to remember to respect and to love others at all times for every being is created in God`s image. Sin is sin, and sin that hurts others should not be tolerated but I have to be careful to not let what I believe is righteous anger turn to bitterness or hatred.

 

 The icebergs are back (very early)

 

 Icebergs are what I usually call the ice that breaks free from the river and is pushed onto the shore. This usually happens in about April. This year it happened in January.

 

 

 Seeing the icebergs usually encourage me as the winter is usually over, spring is here and I am usually very close to starting and than hopefully finishing a marathon.

 

Spiritually the icebergs represent something else. One year a wise lady related to me how each person involved in such a huge task as trying to stop the giant known as sexual child exploitation has a unique role. She likened it to chipping at a giant iceberg, and ended our correspondence with the words "keep chipping Larry."

 What is ironic is that she was trying to cheer me up as she had asked me about contacting Canadian politicians in regards to child exploitation. I told her of my (one) correspondence with a Canadian politician who asked me to contact her after the election, she never responded to me.  What is ironic is that two weeks ago I sent out emails to three different Mississauga Members of Parliament inviting them to participate in the upcoming walkathon. (I thought what do I have to lose?)  Within hours I received two positive responses, possibly this area of chipping at the iceberg is ready now but was not ready five years ago.

  

Each year I see this ice it reminds me of the wise lady`s words and my role. I think some days I am allowed to chip with my feeble arms, other days after a marathon possibly an Angel does the chipping.

 What I have now besides a very challenging start to my training runs in my ravine as I now have to run over this ice in three separate locations, is a constant reminder of why I am running and the hope and belief that although the ice now looks huge and unbreakable, by the time May is here this ice as I hope for child exploitation one day, will no longer be around.

 

 My toughest run ever

 

 During my longest run of this year I remembered a day six years ago. I was training for my first marathon and one day while running I felt a sharp pain in my right calf and had to stop running and walk home. I know the difference between soreness and an injury and this was an injury.

 An ultrasound revealed nothing. I had the elders of my Church pray for me, and yet this pain persisted. I took two weeks off running and tried again. On this day I felt the sharp pain (like a knife in my calf) coming on and I had to stop running again. As I started my slow walk home a lot of negative emotions were overwhelming me. I was upset, afraid, discouraged, disheartened, but the strongest emotion I felt was anger.

 I thought of a horrific story I had heard from a man who is a caregiver for abused girls in Cambodia. He told the story of an eight year old girl who was sold to a pedophile who would make her dance naked on a pool table in order to sell her for a night to the highest bidder.

This story hit me extremely hard as my daughters were eight and six years old at the time.

I started running very slow, every step causing pain, and thought of not only this girl but any other girl caught up in the world of sexual exploitation. I started saying. 

 

I am not doing this for myself

I am doing this so that young girls do not have to dance naked on pool tables!

 

 The pain never relented during this run and I repeated this saying over and over again, sometimes shouting sometimes whispering, sometimes through tears. I had to stop running more than once.

 I ended up having to take two months off of running (not the best way to train for your first marathon.)  A lot of prayer helped me through this time and somehow I was able to finish my first marathon, without this my running career would have been over and some of the positive results including The Ratanak 5km Walkathon would not have been part of my life.

 Many people encourage me, many people are supporting me, many people are helping me, many people love me, many people are donating money, many people are volunteering. Every person I know that is doing this work are very selfless individuals, you expect and receive very little in the way of recognition and yet I know that 

 

We are not doing this for ourselves

 

WE ARE DOING THIS SO THAT YOUNG GIRLS DO NOT EVER, EVER AGAIN HAVE TO DANCE NAKED ON POOL TABLES!

Amen 

 

 Larry 

 

Winter writing

While breaking the ice up on my property after the recent ice storm I realized I would have to come up with a plan due to the enormity of the job. Making matters a bit more difficult I only had one bag of salt and the stores had sold out of salt. I looked for places where the ice was not as thick and broke these areas up first. Later on I would go to the areas beside the freshly broken ice and break more ice. Some areas were so thick they required salt. I found by constantly moving around and breaking up the weakest ice after seven and a half hours I eventually was able to clear all the ice off my driveway and sidewalk.

 

 Sometimes in life it seems as if we are the ice and life is taking it`s best shots at areas of vulnerability in our lives leaving us with a heaviness in our spirit. This day I saw the empire that holds the children hostage in various Countries as sexual commodities as the ice. I believe God is in the process of constantly moving around and striking areas of weakness until the day this empire built on evil is dismantled.

 

 On the path I run in the winter is a sign warning the users that "The City of Mississauga does not clear the path, and people must use at their own risk."

 

 I have found the only people who understand how a person can run outside in the winter, are people who run outsides themselves.

 I am trying to patiently endure the quizzical looks and rhetorical questions such as: "Your not running tomorrow because of snow, freezing rain, slush, extreme cold etc." The best comment came last year from a friend at work when he remarked to me in April "You must be happy now you can start running outside again." Instead of an answer I smiled at the thought of preparing for a marathon in May by doing all of my winter running on a treadmill, this would be impossible at least for me.

 

 One day I passed a lady who was struggling with her footing, and she remarked to me "how can you do this?" I responded "it is easy" as earlier I had thoughts of my upcoming spring marathon and the purpose for it and it was indeed easy to run in trying weather conditions while looking ahead to a noble cause.

 What I did not know was that this was waiting a short distance up ahead

 

 

 I saw six deer on this day. There is about fifteen or so who live in the forest around Pearson airport seeing them is the closest I have ever came to animals in the wild. Last year I only saw them three times so each time I see them is a blessing.

 They are so beautiful that each time I see them I stop running and just look at them.

 Some of the older deer are afraid of me and run away as soon as they see me. The younger ones have not learned to fear men yet and allow me fairly close. Gazing into their big brown eyes I cannot help but think of the girls in Cambodia. I think the older deer who run away are like the girls who have experienced men`s cruelty and know to fear me. The younger deer represent the girls who have not faced abuse and give me hope. For I do know that if somehow Governments around the world join together and protect young children from abuse, there would be more children like the young deer living life as it was intended. If this was to happen eventually there would be no need of aftercare facilities for abused children. 

 

A snow storm on a Saturday in December produced more than 20 cm of snow. I started a long run in my ravine just as the storm started. Part way through my run I passed a man walking his dog who was  looking very miserable. He sarcastically told me "nice day for a run."

 What he did not know is that for me it was a great day for a run. Freshly fallen snow is a beautiful sight. The ground, trees, river etc. covered with this snow is very breathtaking.

 

 

 The day after a snowstorm I find that the same snow that was so beautiful the day before when covered with road salt becomes ugly. It has a different colour, white has become black.

 It has a different feel, soft has become hard.

 

 

 This day I thought of a child born into this world as the fresh snow, beautiful, innocent, and pure.

 My thoughts drifted to the exploited children in Cambodia. I thought of the road salt mixed with the snow as the taking of something pure and heaping sin, depravation, and guilt upon it. The result being the total look and intention of something being altered.

 I then thought it would be impossible for me to remove the salt from the snow and restore the snow to its original state. 

 Men are very limited, with God all things are possible.

 I have seen pictures of girls in Cambodia at graduation ceremonies looking more beautiful, radiant, and alive then any princess I have ever seen. Yet a few short years before these very girls were being sexually abused many times each day.

 Five young women in a Ratanak International program are well on their way to completing their first year of University, again girls who have life stories that bring tears to the hardest people.

 I wish the problem of children being sold into sexual slavery for profit did not exist in the world. I wish people did not think their entitlement in life allows them to use and abuse others for their enjoyment.

 I wish that one day that all people regardless of age, religion, sex, social standing were all truly equal.

 Until this happens I will continue to raise funding and awareness for Ratanak International as it continues to minister to the needs of exploited children in Cambodia.

 

June 7 2014 is the date of the third 5km walkathon in Mississauga at Erindale park. 

In the book "Dream Giver" by Bruce Wilkinson he says something like "God is looking for the dreamers of today to dream big, impossible dreams, and allow for God to make them come true."

 Brian McConaghy director of Ratanak once said he felt "seeing dust on the horizon was God showing Brian that God was already at work, and was calling Brian to follow Him."

 By nature I am very conservative. Every race I run I usually tell my family a time a few minutes slower then what I feel I will finish. This is called "setting the bar low."

 The first walkathon a goal of $5 000 was set over $7 800 was raised.

 The second walkathon a goal of $10 000 was set  $15 406 was raised.

 My original thought was to keep the number low as last year we had a lot of very unexpected positive donations that I felt may not happen again.

As I wrestled with a number I thought of Brian`s comments and thought God is not standing still or retreating. He is moving forward or advancing.

 I then thought of Bruce Wilkinson comments and thought pick a number well out of my comfort level and give God the credit when this goal is reached.

The number I came up with was $20 052. The $20 000 represents about a 30% increase from our donations last year.

 The number 52 came to me as I ran on the day of the snowstorm.

 

I am training for a spring marathon in which I will run 42kms. Neil Boron host of lifeline a radio show on WDCX 99.5 F.M. is going to take part in this year`s walkathon. This is great news as selfishly I thought of his help in promoting Ratanak events in the past and thought the publicity he can generate can only help. Selflessly I enjoy Neil`s company especially his sense of humour and look forward to spending a June morning with him. 

 Not everyone in my family was as excited about this news as me. For those of you who have read my blog know that most of the laughs all at my expense have came from comments my competitive 11 year old daughter has made about my running results.

 She asked me "Do you think because he is famous people will let Neil win?" I asked her "are you going to let him win?" A look of determination crossed her face and she shook her head no!

 52 represents my 42km Neil`s 5km and Isabella`s 5km.

 The numbers 5 and 2 are significant numbers from the Bible in a particular story.

 Luke 6 vs 8-12 tells the story of a young boy who gave his 5 loaves and 2 fish to Jesus, and Jesus was able to feed 5 000 men with this with some food left over. And while most people do not ever give everything as the young boy did. It is my hope and belief that God can and will take a very determined, united, and somewhat overmatched skill sets of the volunteers from the Toronto core group and reward us with an even greater number then we can even imagine or predict.

 

Larry   

 

The Place

I just finished my latest running race a 10 km event through the Beach area of Toronto that benefitted an outreach program for families who are having difficulties making ends meet at Christmas time.

 I experienced a new challenge during this race: black ice. Over 700 runners were crammed like sardines so this danger was extremely challenging at the beginning of the race when you could not see it until you were right on top it. Thankfully I survived unlike one unfortunate lady who had to walk back injured to the starting and meet her disappointed family.  I do not think June has ever had snow in Mississauga so I can cross this worry off my list for next year`s Ratanak International walkathon.

 

 A friend asked me "for a 10 km do you just get out of bed and show up?" I guess he was referring to the fact I have ran 42.2 km races in the past.

 Each race no matter the distance poses challenges unique to the event.  Physically I feel I may be coming down with something and sweating as I ran through a steady drizzle with my lungs burning made for a tougher morning than I or my friend could have predicted.

 This came to a head at the 7km mark.  Thanksgiving was celebrated last Thursday in the United States. In three weeks both Canada and the U.S. will celebrate Christmas.  As I was not having an enjoyable run I thought of the act of running a race. I thought of how many people I know who are suffering physically and how the pain they suffer from affects every area of their lives, and they could only dream of being able to run. I then thought of people in other Countries who maybe able to run physically, but social problems such as war, poverty, and exploitation would not allow them to set aside a Sunday morning for a race. 

 Thinking of others far less fortunate made me grateful for the physical and economic blessings I have experienced in my life.  The last 3 km`s became bearable, and low and behold (for the few friends who always ask) I finished in a very surprising time of 43 minutes. 

 

 Lately I have  heard a song that is played much around Christmas.

 Do they know it`s Christmas? Some of the lyrics really  struck me.

 "Do they know it`s Christmas time at all?"  I thought about the ones who rarely leave my thoughts: the exploited children in Cambodia. Sadly they probably do know when Christmas is approaching as they are probably seeing more customers from the affluent part of the world taking advantage of their Christmas Holidays to go overseas and consuming their Countries  product (children.)

 "The greatest gift you`ll give this year is life."  These words are so true for this year or for any year.  What is a richer gift to give someone than the chance for life?

"And the Christmas bells that ring

  Are the clanging chimes of doom

  Well tonight, thank God, its them instead of you."

 If I am honest I see the truth in these lyrics as well.  I have heard Brian McConaghy explain the number of times these girls are abused in a night multiplied over a year.  Yes I do thank God that I have never faced such a life, and I am grateful for a chance to help some leave this life.

 This latest writing is from some of my thoughts I wrote down on a Sunday morning in April 2012.

 I started putting it on my computer November 20 which my calendar tells me is Universal Children`s day according to the U.N. Again I ask myself a rhetorical question. Do the children being exploited realize there is a day set aside for them? 

 

 At the time of the later writing I was training for the 2012 Toronto Marathon. I ended up running 28 miles in distance in a time of 3 hours 48 minutes for this particular training run.  It was pouring rain on this day, my Daughter Isabella thought I was crazy, and when I ran by a deserted golf course I wondered about this myself.

 Sometimes things are coming our way when we least expect it.  I wonder, if I did not run this day would these words have came to me?  Possibly at a later date, or was this a test of faith with a reward waiting that I could not possibly for see?  One way or another I will never know.

 The ravine I run in has four signs that warn me to never leave the trail.  In the six years of training for marathons my feet have never once left this trail.  Yet many times my mind and thoughts are far from this trail.

I shared these words with a group of friends who liked them so now I will share them with you, with some examples of how true, how profound they were that day.  And how I see these words ringing true to me now and I believe for the future.

 

 The Place

 

 There is a place that I know

 That mortal men should fear to go

 It is a place of depravity and shame

 A place whose leader first enticed Cain

 The children who are kept in this place

 Suffer much disgrace

 They are held against their will

 And beaten and made to lie still

 

 This is a place that should be dark

 Yet I see a tiny spark

 A ray of hope in this domain

 One day the light will surely reign

 

 I am called to run this race

 And this is where I see God`s face

 I stumble often He picks me up

 I know this place it is my cup

 

 The giant`s voice tells me I am weak and small

 One day I believe this giant will fall

 This giant feeds on fear and wrath

 One day this giant will be snapped in half

 

 The giant is an awesome beast

 The children are its favourite feast

 The place I see I hate to go

 Yet something draws me this I know

 

 Cain was the first murderer.  He is the first in a long seemingly never ending list of men who listen to the voice they should ignore.  Cain murdered his brother.  Many men now a days are trying to destroy the spirits of little children as they selfishly take away their innocence, what they do not realize is that in the process they are destroying themselves.

 Are there darker places on Earth than the mind of the person who abuses children?  Is there a darker place then the lives of these very children?  In my very privileged and sheltered life I

have not encountered any.

 St Francis of Assisi "All the darkness of the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle."

 Two documentaries I have watched on young girls forced to work as prostitutes had a theme that really took me by surprise.  HOPE was this theme.  I was amazed as in both documentaries the girls were talking of future dreams.  They had hopes for meeting young men who would accept them as they were.  Young men who would overlook their past and young men who would marry them, love them, accept them, and become the Fathers of their children.

 Hope can indeed exist in the darkest places on this earth, and it is up to us to make sure these girls have a chance at the future that they are dreaming of.  The thought and dreams which probably sustain and encourage them to keep going in spite of their present circumstances.

 

 I love running in my ravine.  I really dislike running a race, especially a marathon.  I have had some very tough races dealing with every type of weather element you can imagine, as well as other factors well out of my control.  i.e. Major marathons running out of cups for water at the 30 km mark, winds of 50km/hr, race day temperatures of 31C/91F. 

 Yet this is a time where I am desperate and more than once I have prayed asking God for help as I felt I could not go one more step.  As an answer one marathon I saw a face of a young girl who has faced years of trauma and I felt I had to finish if just for her, another time the earlier writing came to mind and I felt I had to finish this race.

 In running I have not stumbled often.  In my life I stumble every day and am humbled that I am allowed to try to help these children.  I was and still am a very unlikely crusader for these children.

 The cup is a religious symbol I like.  The night before being put on the cross Jesus prayed "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."

 James and John`s Mother asked Jesus to grant her son`s privilege with Jesus in His Kingdom.

 Jesus asked them "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?  They replied yes.  Jesus answered them "you will indeed drink from my cup."

 My cup is the lives of children  many miles away.  It is a cup I would have never picked on my own.  The drink itself is bitter tasting.  It turns my stomach, causes sickness, tears, and despair-- and yet I also believe the drink itself brings life to me.

 

 The giant I write about is enormous.  The figures I come across keep changing and not in the right direction.  Billions of dollars are spent each year on the trafficking of young woman and children.  More than a million young children are being sold daily for the purpose of being exploited sexually.  Who knows how many children are actually involved?   As I do not think this money is reported to the Government, and I do not think a census is taken to accurately number the children.

 One person cannot do very much in terms of such numbers, so what does one person do?

 For myself I run, I put one foot in front of the other and try not to think of how far I have come and how far I still have to go.  I do not look or think I just run and hope and pray impossible thoughts and dreams much like the girls, that if they can dream of finding a husband I can dream of one day when the giant goes silent.

 While preparing my body for this last race a song came across my mind numerous times as I ran down my ravine.  Sometimes people on Earth seem to get away with their sins and go unpunished.  I thought this about the man in Cleveland who died three weeks into his life sentence.  I thought too soon, he did not pay enough.  His victims may have to pay for their whole lives for his evil.  Possibly his Justice was served just soon enough.

 The song is from Mumford and sons:  it starts as a man facing judgement on earth, in a very clever way they twist the writing into a day we will all face judgement day, and if I know anything this day did not go well for the man in Cleveland, nor will it go well for the many other men who are currently abusing children.

 

 You are their abusers now look at their faces

 Your oppression reeks of your greed and disgrace

 One man has while another has not

 How can you live with what you have got?

 When you took it all from the weak hands of the poor

 Murderers and thieves you don`t know what is in store

 There will come a time you will look in my eye

 You will pray to the God that you`ve always denied

 And I`ll go out back and I`ll get my gun

 You haven`t met me I am the only Son

 

  

 Larry