The other day I was listening to the radio and one of the DJs shared a story about a friend of hers who had been diagnosed with some sort of a heart-related problem. Through it all her friend remained relatively calm and the DJ asked her how it was possible for her to remain positive with such a dire prognosis. Her friend simply told her, “This heart has been beating since before the day I was born, and if God can make that happen, he knows exactly how long this heart will continue to beat.” This statement struck me and reminded me of what God is capable of doing to us and through us. More importantly nothing is a surprise to Him.

This also reminded me of where I am today. Some people may be surprised to know about 16 years ago, after I had just turned 40, I was diagnosed with heart disease. I was about 50 lbs. heavier than I am right now and didn’t really care much about being in shape or eating healthy. All I cared about was my career and getting ahead. But when I was diagnosed, according to my doctor, I had a choice to make. I could either continue down my chosen path, and most likely need a heart transplant by the time I turned 65, or I could make some drastic changes. So, I did what any levelheaded individual would do, I started training for a 1/2 marathon. Most people thought I was crazy for even considering doing something like this after my diagnosis. But in my mind, I had no choice. I was a 40 year old who was still supposed to be able to do this, so I did! In the end, did I become a world class runner? No, not even close. I think my best time for a 1/2 marathon was 2 hours and 16 minutes (about an 11 ½ minute mile), but that wasn’t the point. Long story short, in three years my heart went from being enlarged and losing 10% function to having a heart that functioned properly and provided me with a future that didn’t involve replacing it. Am I suggesting people should run around and not listen to their doctors and do drastic things that could end up not working out for them the way it did for me? Of course not.

Some people may look at my story and applaud me for the work I put in to make it happen. The truth is God knew exactly what he was doing when he gave me the will to do the things I needed to survive. Nothing that happened to me was a surprise to him. And nothing that will happen to me in the future is a surprise to him. We must all learn to trust in his perfect plan. Does that mean that everything works out perfectly for us? No! But, whatever happens to each of us is for a purpose, and how we react to it is important. Ultimately it only really matters in the light of eternity.

By the way, I ended up running seven half marathons, three 10 milers, and five triathlons before my knees decided it was time to stop running and find alternatives to maintain fitness. But since that diagnosis I have consistently exercised for the past 16 years and I will continue to do so until it’s time to go home.