Helping Hands

I often think about the lessons that running “offers” me. I say “offers” because I don’t always learn from these lessons. I’m not talking about lessons in pacing, cadence, training technique or running style. I’m talking about lessons in life. Many of these “life lessons” compliment my Christian faith. From the sheer awe and wonder at the beauty of God’s creation when you summit a peak and see the plains below lit up by the early morning sun, and you take a moment to appreciate its magnificence and the power of its creator. To the humility one quickly accepts as your park run is eclipsed by someone who can truly run. Or the perseverance one develops after hitting the wall with far too many kilometres still to go. 

Today’s lesson for me was one of friendship and kindness. My anecdote starts rather predictably on a training run with my friend, running a steady pace through the Karangahake Gorge on a warm and windy January morning. The destination was Paeroa, however it was not to be, as that little twinge I’d hardly even noticed a few kilometers back at Waikino suddenly erupted into a sharp pain, and maybe a ping …. or a pop …. I wasn’t sure but I was sure that it wasn’t good. I momentarily thought it was a wasp sting, and as I’m allergic to wasp stings I instinctively jumped in the air mid-stride. On landing I knew that was the end of the run.

I felt guilty, as this training run was really more for my friend’s benefit than for mine as he was trying to build up his mileage in preparation for an Iron Man attempt in March. So, many apologies later, we had managed to walk (hobble) into Karangahake  car park from where we could get a lift back home.

I sat down and relaxed a little. In hindsight this was probably a mistake but at the time it felt like it was essential. I apologized again but my friend said nothing. He stood looking intently for our lift to arrive. Eventually he saw what he was looking for, the cavalry was here. As the car pulled into the car park I attempted to stand, which I instantly realized was going to be more difficult than it should be. I struggled, and my friend put out his hands to help me up.

Now, this may not seem like a big act of kindness or even a big deal to you, but my friend has many learning difficulties. He is very kindhearted but can’t always process this into actions. So, for him to offer his hands to help me up was a real moment of pure kindness. The pain in my leg was still there but the joy in my heart was masking it. All those hours of training together over the years had not just developed his running ability but also his empathy for others. Later, a comparison struck me, and I hope and pray that the time we spend in worship and bible study, developing and deepening our faith will mean that we too will extend a helping hand to those that need it…. without being asked…. and out of pure kindness.