Ah, yes! It’s a beautiful Saturday morning in May and Team Alpha is getting ready for our first 5K race. My son and daughter-in-law pull into the race parking lot with the lovely and talented two year old daughter, Izzy. With sleep filled eyes and a sippy cup, she’s ready to jump into her jogging stroller for her first 5K.

 

Nothing is ever easy. Our Team Alpha members were decked out in “Explore the Meaning of Life” red shirts. Woops, we were one shirt short. Tobacco Road light blue seems to blend in for that guy anyway.

 

The jogging stroller has a flat tire. That’s an extra incentive for our run. Mom and Dad accept the challenge and still beat me by ten minutes. Glistening might be a good term, but I’m sorry, that was sweat dripping off of me at the end of the run.

 

Three generations had crossed the finish line. Memories went back to our December marathon at Keawah. But this was more fun. Over $7,000 had been raised for Alpha. Our summer advertising budget just got a nice boost.

 

Someday Izzy will hear the story of Alpha, the 5K and the flat tire. More importantly, she will hear that the Christian life is not a sprint. It’s not a 5K. It’s a marathon.