Run Ernie run

Run Ernie run

"My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever."  Psalm 73:26

Here's a feel good story for the day I couldn't help but share.   Have you ever wondered what Forrest Gump would be doing today if he hadn't gotten tired and decided to stop running?  Well, I believe this is your answer.    

PAYSON, Ariz. -- Three days a week, 90-year-old Ernie Andrus puts on his support stockings and tennis shoes, gently lowers himself out of the RV he's been living in since October, and slowly returns to his mission.

"The older I get, the slower I go," said Andrus.

Andrus will become the oldest person in America to run across America.  "I'm running the whole thing, every step of the way," Andrus told CBS News.  He began eight months ago near San Diego. As of June 6, he is about a hundred miles east of Phoenix.

Andrus obviously loves running, but the World War II veteran says there's another, much greater purpose here.  "You want people to know what the war was all about, and what it took to win it," said Andrus.

Specifically, this old Navy man is running to raise awareness for one of the unsung heroes of the war -- a ship he served on called an LST. It stands for "Landing Ship, Tank" and it's how the Allies got heavy equipment onto beaches.

The U.S. built more than a thousand LSTs during the war, but today only one remains in its original configuration. It's parked on the Ohio River in Evansville, Indiana. And Andrus says if he can run across the country at 90, the least you can do is drive to Indiana to see the thing.

"This shouldn't be forgotten. Eisenhower and Churchill both made a similar remark that it's the ship that won the war ... Without 'em how could you have taken all those islands? How could you have even taken Normandy?" Andrus said.

Which is why, 70 years later, Andrus is out here returning the favor -- out here, pretty much by himself. He runs five miles, hitchhikes back to his vehicle, and then runs another five, two days later. He's hoping to reach the Atlantic by his 94th birthday.

"If you fail, you're a crazy old man. If you succeed, you're a hero," said Andrus.  http://www.cbsnews.com/news/wwii-veteran-ernie-andrus-runs-across-u-s-to-raise-awareness-for-lst/

What a fabulous story about the determination of the human spirit and what a person can accomplish when they stay focused on what they believe to be important. There should be nothing more important in our lives than Christ though. Proverbs 16:3 says, "Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established." Imagine all that could be "established" if we all worked as hard and as long as Ernie Andrus-if we all used our gifts, talents and abilities to pursue Christ.   This is just another reminder how a person can be an inspiration at any age.  

Heavenly Father, thank you for this reminder that we can serve you in extraordinary ways whether we are 5 or 95 if our heart is set on You.  I pray that we have a new determination to do great things to glorify Your name today. Set a fire in our hearts Lord and open up our eyes to the "the calling" You have given us.  In your precious name we pray Jesus, Amen.

Happy Running!!!                                                                                                                                    www.team413.org