Miles and Mustard Seeds

For the past nine years, if anyone asked me what I was passionate about, I would reply "running" without even batting an eyelash. And it's true. Running was my life. It consumed my high school days with countless hours spent on the rubberized track in the unforgiving Georgia sun. Cross-country is certainly not a sport for the weak at heart. It challenges not only your body but also your mind. I sometimes questioned why I chose to put myself through so much agony for a sport, but it all made sense to me as I grew older.

Senior year track at UGA

Running is in my blood.

The soreness, the blisters, the injuries; it was all made worthwhile with the companionship, the competition, and any slight improvement that came along the way. As a member of the cross-country team at the University of West Georgia and eventually the University of Georgia, I made lifetime friends and memories. However, running also caused me great pain. Injuries and anemia plagued my final seasons with the bulldogs, and, at the time, it seemed like the end of my world. Competing was everything to me, and being told that I couldn't participate in what I loved for a period of time was devastating.  However, something my great-grandmother told me as a child always seemed to get me through. Referencing Matthew 17:20, she would tell me, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can do anything."

I would think, "A mustard seed? Really? That's all it takes?" Well, it's a lot harder than it seems.

Courtney and me

Now, as a recent graduate of UGA, I'm relying more than ever on that mustard seed. Running has taken a back seat to the search for a career in journalism. I never really considered myself a "writer" (I was a just a "runner" that happened to write), but I know that writing is also in my blood. My older sister, Courtney, has always been my role model, especially when it comes to journalism. I'm not sure if she's annoyed or flattered by the fact that I'm chasing a similar dream of a journalism career. I like to think she takes it as a compliment. Now that I am at this crossroads in my life that comes with graduating, I'm looking not only to the guidance of others, but to that mustard seed that carried me through the ups and downs of my athletic career. Although I'd like to jump into my dream job right away (or at least have the stability of any job), running has taught me that success only comes with hard work. So until that dream job comes along, I'm just going to take it one day at a time and enjoy the journey.