This weekend is the Polar Bear Run. It has been 2 years since the cutest runner ever was in the field. Some of you may remember me writing about this last year (click here to read). This was the last 'big thing' Brock did before he died days later.
We again placed Brockie-Bands in 2,000 bags for the runners and volunteers. We were not sure we would do this again. However, after prayer and leading, we are glad to be a part of the Polar Bear Run. If you are new to the blog we say, "Welcome!" If you are back for the first time in a while, "Welcome back."
As Jesus said, "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world (John 16:33)." We hope you find encouragement here as you journey in this race called "LIFE."
As we were making the decision whether to provide the Brockie-Bands this year, we were encouraged by the stories many of you have shared about wearing yours. Our son, Mason's, coach wears his to every game to remind him that he is an example and needs to act with integrity as he "Lives Hard" on the field. Drew's fraternity brother wears his to remind him to "Love Hard" when dealing with his children, even when it is tough. And a runner friend wears his to finish his runs strong as if "Running to Jesus."
Our ultimate goal is to finish this race strong, so that, at the end, we receive the words we all want to hear from our Lord..."Well done! My good and faithful servant. Come and share my joy."
If you have a Brockie-Band story, it would make our day if you would please leave a comment. Tell us why you wear it or a conversation that has come from it.
And if you don't have one, the boys would love to send you one, free. Since I dropped the ball on this offer last year, the boys have 'assumed' the project :) Just send your address in an email to dnmeadows@comcast.net.
So, for inspiration...
RUN HARD!!!
Showing posts with label Brockie-Band. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brockie-Band. Show all posts
Friday, January 22, 2010
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Precious Details
Every time I would think about our plans for last Saturday, January 31st, I would ask God to write and fill in the details. Drew and I talked conceptually about what we wanted for the day but never got a chance to plan out all the tiny details. This is pretty trusting for a detailed person like me. Because I asked God to be so present, I asked him also for eyes to see Him in the details. There were many precious moments that I just wanted to take a deep breath and be sure they were etched in my mind. A silhouette sent from Heaven so to speak, a painting of eternal things. There were several times I wanted to close my eyes and forge every detail in my mind...frozen in time.
My parents, my sister Lyn, and my niece Anna Grace all spent the night with us Friday. When they got here, we were finishing up preparing the meal for our Firemen. Asa and Anna Grace were mixing the brownies. Mason and Lyn were baking the bread. Barrett helped everyone. About the time the Poppy Seed Chicken was ready to go in the oven, I realized that I did not have a pan. My parents ran to the store for disposable pans. It was truly a whole family effort.
...A Precious Detail
From about 10am on Saturday, we were surrounded by people who came to let us know they cared and remembered. God paced it out so that we were visiting with friends all the way until the 4pm hour when we did the service and then until 10pm that night.
...A Precious Detail
Around 11:30am we went as a family to the fire station to deliver the meal we had prepared. We just wanted to take a meal to say thank you to the Firemen in honor of Brock. We had it prearranged. The day before, the lady with the county called to let me know that two of the men that responded to our 911 call were working this January 31st. This added a dimension I wasn't sure that I was ready for but felt confident that God clearly was in this intimate detail.
In my nightmares about that day, I remember the EMT's. They were not saying a word; their faces were not very encouraging. I wasn't sure I would recognize any of them, as the horror was all a blur in slow motion. We arrived and just the two men came out to talk with us. They said they remembered our call and referred to it as a "terrible day". They explained, almost apologetically, that they worked as fast as they could and.....you could tell the rescuer in them still wanted the outcome to be different. We thanked them for what they did. As Drew tried to remind them what heroes they were, they deflected the praise and said, "Sir, your wife was the hero. She did an incredible job before we got there and then remained calm enough to work with us when we arrived." He explained that this is not usually the case as the parents become frozen or hysterical. Our pediatrician had already told me he was surprised that I was able to start CPR as usually the parent cannot do it. I would not describe myself as calm that day as my entire being was wailing, moaning, and very chaotic. Hearing him say that confirms the Lord was right there with me. He never left me. He never took His hand off the situation. He was there and in total control.
We then gave these heroes a Brockie-Band. Drew explained their significance. While he was talking, each man caringly took it out of the bag and slipped it on his wrist. What a sweet gesture! We took a picture with them in front of the Fire Truck. Drew prayed for them and blessed the food. When we got to the car, the boys claimed that they remembered them. Oh, how Drew and I grieve for loss of our boys' innocence on that day! We cried the rest of the way home.
...A Precious Detail
By 3:30pm, a consistent stream of people were walking up our long driveway with smiles and casseroles...such a sweet sight! By 4pm, a large crowd had gathered in the foyer and den to begin the memorial service. We had a remembrance candle on our foyer table. We lit this candle at Christmas in remembrance of Brock. We passed out little white candles (Christmas Eve type) for everyone to light from the Brock Candle. They then walked out the door onto our front lawn. Josh Stewart, the student Music Minister at our church played the guitar and led worship. He and his wife, Lacey, used to keep our kids when we would go out of town. Before they had a son of their own, I think sometimes people at church thought Brock was Lacey's. He was often found on her hip. He would always find her on Wednesday nights at the fellowship dinner, run to her, and squeel "Wacey!!"
When preparing for the day, I kept telling Drew that I wanted to light candles. While it seemed strange to light them in daylight, I kept trying to think of us lighting them after dinner but knew that many could not stay for dinner. That morning in my quiet time, I had prayed for God to make this day His. For Him to fill in all the details and all the words. Just then I picked up a book that my friend Susan gave me. It is called Mudhouse Sabbath by Lauren Winner. She is a Christian converted from Orthodox Judaism. I looked at the contents and saw a chapter on Candle Lighting. After reading I was sure we would light the candles during the service. I was reminded that we were lighting a candle to represent Brock's moving from death here into life in eternity. As Christians, we light to remember the light of Christ that we have within us to shine to the world. Finally, we light to represent Christ's resurrection and triumph over death so that we will one day be with Jesus (and Brock) in Heaven. Drew shared theses thoughts as we began the service.
...A Precious Detail
Josh stood on the front porch and played while we tearfully sang Lord Most High, Agnus Dei, Blessed Be The Name, and Brock's favorites, Jesus Loves Me and God our Father. One friend told me that she strongly sensed the praise physically and literally rising as the large group sang.
After Drew shared a few more comments, he opened the floor up for a "Say So". This is a
Young Life-thing to do. It is based on the verse, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so...(Psalm 107:2). We recognized that God has used Brock's life and death to work in the lives of many. We wanted to provide an opportunity for people to share what God has done in their life through Brock's death. It was overwhelming to hear the way the Lord had strengthened people's faith, trust and reliance on Him through our loss. It was encouraging that they also had run to Jesus instead of away from Him.
A precious moment came when Mason, our 10-year old, spoke of how when he and his brothers, Asa and Barrett, were at our neighbors, the Massey's, and we came in to tell them that Brock did not make it, he said through precious tears that he did not know how we were going to live. He said, "And then we came home, and God sent all you people! You have helped us live." The lawn was watered with tears at that point. Several others sweetly shared and then our boys' neighbor friend John spoke. He cried as he said that he knows Brock is not here but that when he comes to our home, he can still hear him laugh and see his smile. My mom finished the time as she told of how the Lord had reminded her how precious the body of Christ is as they have loved on my family in Cordele and loved on us in Atlanta. When she finished, she hugged my neck and whispered in my ear, "I would take this away from you if I could." I told her, I knew she would but she can't. I have always said that my parents got a double whammy - they grieve for Brock & they grieve for me, their daughter.
...A Precious Detail
We came back into the house for a ton of delicious food and fellowship. It has been so sweet to see how God has redeemed our house this year. On our way home from the hospital when Brock died, Drew emphatically said, "I'm selling the house tomorrow." He couldn't imagine walking past Brock's bedroom, haunted by the memories and the quiet. But God has shown us something different this year as our home has been full of life from life-giving people! We realized very early on that even his room is holy ground. It is the place where Brock met Jesus face to face. It is the place where Brock's darkness became light. It has been a sanctuary for me as I have met the Lord there every Thursday at 4pm. It is sacred. So we invited people into Brock's room. We set up a video and asked people to share a Brockie memory. With our boys being young, especially Barrett, it has been a burden of mine to preserve the stories that tell of Brock's personality. They will never forget him in their heart; however, I realize many of the stories they remember will be the ones we tell them. All night long, people sat in the rocking chair and recorded their memories. What a gift!
...A Precious Detail
The day was just perfect because God orchestrated it, with all His precious details. He made an incredibly hard day bearable with the fragrance of friends and memories. As we turned out the lights in the kitchen, I commented to Drew that, as perfect as the day was, I still would trade it all just to hold Brock.
The painful memories are being replaced with sweet ones, but we miss him so physically and so deeply. With pillows wet from tears, we held each other in our bed as the clock struck midnight. The Lord carried us through yet another day to close out this year.
My parents, my sister Lyn, and my niece Anna Grace all spent the night with us Friday. When they got here, we were finishing up preparing the meal for our Firemen. Asa and Anna Grace were mixing the brownies. Mason and Lyn were baking the bread. Barrett helped everyone. About the time the Poppy Seed Chicken was ready to go in the oven, I realized that I did not have a pan. My parents ran to the store for disposable pans. It was truly a whole family effort.
...A Precious Detail
From about 10am on Saturday, we were surrounded by people who came to let us know they cared and remembered. God paced it out so that we were visiting with friends all the way until the 4pm hour when we did the service and then until 10pm that night.
...A Precious Detail
Around 11:30am we went as a family to the fire station to deliver the meal we had prepared. We just wanted to take a meal to say thank you to the Firemen in honor of Brock. We had it prearranged. The day before, the lady with the county called to let me know that two of the men that responded to our 911 call were working this January 31st. This added a dimension I wasn't sure that I was ready for but felt confident that God clearly was in this intimate detail.
In my nightmares about that day, I remember the EMT's. They were not saying a word; their faces were not very encouraging. I wasn't sure I would recognize any of them, as the horror was all a blur in slow motion. We arrived and just the two men came out to talk with us. They said they remembered our call and referred to it as a "terrible day". They explained, almost apologetically, that they worked as fast as they could and.....you could tell the rescuer in them still wanted the outcome to be different. We thanked them for what they did. As Drew tried to remind them what heroes they were, they deflected the praise and said, "Sir, your wife was the hero. She did an incredible job before we got there and then remained calm enough to work with us when we arrived." He explained that this is not usually the case as the parents become frozen or hysterical. Our pediatrician had already told me he was surprised that I was able to start CPR as usually the parent cannot do it. I would not describe myself as calm that day as my entire being was wailing, moaning, and very chaotic. Hearing him say that confirms the Lord was right there with me. He never left me. He never took His hand off the situation. He was there and in total control.
We then gave these heroes a Brockie-Band. Drew explained their significance. While he was talking, each man caringly took it out of the bag and slipped it on his wrist. What a sweet gesture! We took a picture with them in front of the Fire Truck. Drew prayed for them and blessed the food. When we got to the car, the boys claimed that they remembered them. Oh, how Drew and I grieve for loss of our boys' innocence on that day! We cried the rest of the way home.
...A Precious Detail
By 3:30pm, a consistent stream of people were walking up our long driveway with smiles and casseroles...such a sweet sight! By 4pm, a large crowd had gathered in the foyer and den to begin the memorial service. We had a remembrance candle on our foyer table. We lit this candle at Christmas in remembrance of Brock. We passed out little white candles (Christmas Eve type) for everyone to light from the Brock Candle. They then walked out the door onto our front lawn. Josh Stewart, the student Music Minister at our church played the guitar and led worship. He and his wife, Lacey, used to keep our kids when we would go out of town. Before they had a son of their own, I think sometimes people at church thought Brock was Lacey's. He was often found on her hip. He would always find her on Wednesday nights at the fellowship dinner, run to her, and squeel "Wacey!!"
When preparing for the day, I kept telling Drew that I wanted to light candles. While it seemed strange to light them in daylight, I kept trying to think of us lighting them after dinner but knew that many could not stay for dinner. That morning in my quiet time, I had prayed for God to make this day His. For Him to fill in all the details and all the words. Just then I picked up a book that my friend Susan gave me. It is called Mudhouse Sabbath by Lauren Winner. She is a Christian converted from Orthodox Judaism. I looked at the contents and saw a chapter on Candle Lighting. After reading I was sure we would light the candles during the service. I was reminded that we were lighting a candle to represent Brock's moving from death here into life in eternity. As Christians, we light to remember the light of Christ that we have within us to shine to the world. Finally, we light to represent Christ's resurrection and triumph over death so that we will one day be with Jesus (and Brock) in Heaven. Drew shared theses thoughts as we began the service.
...A Precious Detail
Josh stood on the front porch and played while we tearfully sang Lord Most High, Agnus Dei, Blessed Be The Name, and Brock's favorites, Jesus Loves Me and God our Father. One friend told me that she strongly sensed the praise physically and literally rising as the large group sang.
After Drew shared a few more comments, he opened the floor up for a "Say So". This is a
Young Life-thing to do. It is based on the verse, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so...(Psalm 107:2). We recognized that God has used Brock's life and death to work in the lives of many. We wanted to provide an opportunity for people to share what God has done in their life through Brock's death. It was overwhelming to hear the way the Lord had strengthened people's faith, trust and reliance on Him through our loss. It was encouraging that they also had run to Jesus instead of away from Him.
A precious moment came when Mason, our 10-year old, spoke of how when he and his brothers, Asa and Barrett, were at our neighbors, the Massey's, and we came in to tell them that Brock did not make it, he said through precious tears that he did not know how we were going to live. He said, "And then we came home, and God sent all you people! You have helped us live." The lawn was watered with tears at that point. Several others sweetly shared and then our boys' neighbor friend John spoke. He cried as he said that he knows Brock is not here but that when he comes to our home, he can still hear him laugh and see his smile. My mom finished the time as she told of how the Lord had reminded her how precious the body of Christ is as they have loved on my family in Cordele and loved on us in Atlanta. When she finished, she hugged my neck and whispered in my ear, "I would take this away from you if I could." I told her, I knew she would but she can't. I have always said that my parents got a double whammy - they grieve for Brock & they grieve for me, their daughter.
...A Precious Detail
We came back into the house for a ton of delicious food and fellowship. It has been so sweet to see how God has redeemed our house this year. On our way home from the hospital when Brock died, Drew emphatically said, "I'm selling the house tomorrow." He couldn't imagine walking past Brock's bedroom, haunted by the memories and the quiet. But God has shown us something different this year as our home has been full of life from life-giving people! We realized very early on that even his room is holy ground. It is the place where Brock met Jesus face to face. It is the place where Brock's darkness became light. It has been a sanctuary for me as I have met the Lord there every Thursday at 4pm. It is sacred. So we invited people into Brock's room. We set up a video and asked people to share a Brockie memory. With our boys being young, especially Barrett, it has been a burden of mine to preserve the stories that tell of Brock's personality. They will never forget him in their heart; however, I realize many of the stories they remember will be the ones we tell them. All night long, people sat in the rocking chair and recorded their memories. What a gift!
...A Precious Detail
The day was just perfect because God orchestrated it, with all His precious details. He made an incredibly hard day bearable with the fragrance of friends and memories. As we turned out the lights in the kitchen, I commented to Drew that, as perfect as the day was, I still would trade it all just to hold Brock.
The painful memories are being replaced with sweet ones, but we miss him so physically and so deeply. With pillows wet from tears, we held each other in our bed as the clock struck midnight. The Lord carried us through yet another day to close out this year.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
A Few Details
Wow! Thank you for praying. I wanted to give you a few updates:
First we have been feeling your prayers covering us this week as we approach Saturday. I had two really dark days Monday and Tuesday of this week but am feeling better today. Thanks so much. We need you!
Mason has been sleeping through the night with out nightmares since Friday. Praise God! Thank you for praying and praise God for such tangible results.
Many of you have asked about getting a Brockie-Band of your own. It looks like we will be ordering more so email me at dnmeadows@comcast.net if you would like one. Or, you can also leave a comment on the blog.
I have tried to make it easier for some of you to receive a notice about when I post. Several have asked how to be notified. I think there are several easy ways. You can have it delivered to your email if you sign up over in the side bar where it asks for email. You can also subscribe which means it will show up in your blogger - reader account. You must register your name with blogger, which is totally safe. If I have to explain much more, this is probably not the best for you:) Don't worry I didn't know before a few days ago. Also you can become a follower. This way you are notified on your blogger dashboard when I update. Hope that is clear as mud.
We finalized our plans for Saturday. We want you to know. We hope it will be very informal but with a time of praise and worship around 4pm. If you can drop by, please do. This is the first time I have felt like I wanted to have some sort of gathering. We recognized that since the 31st falls on Saturday, it could get to be a really long day if it was just us. We would love to gather with those of you that have prayed for us for some fellowship. The details are as follows:
We are also going to be taking lunch as a family to the Fire Station that responded to the 911 call the afternoon Brock died. Pray for that encounter. Thanks so much. God bless you!
First we have been feeling your prayers covering us this week as we approach Saturday. I had two really dark days Monday and Tuesday of this week but am feeling better today. Thanks so much. We need you!
Mason has been sleeping through the night with out nightmares since Friday. Praise God! Thank you for praying and praise God for such tangible results.
Many of you have asked about getting a Brockie-Band of your own. It looks like we will be ordering more so email me at dnmeadows@comcast.net if you would like one. Or, you can also leave a comment on the blog.
I have tried to make it easier for some of you to receive a notice about when I post. Several have asked how to be notified. I think there are several easy ways. You can have it delivered to your email if you sign up over in the side bar where it asks for email. You can also subscribe which means it will show up in your blogger - reader account. You must register your name with blogger, which is totally safe. If I have to explain much more, this is probably not the best for you:) Don't worry I didn't know before a few days ago. Also you can become a follower. This way you are notified on your blogger dashboard when I update. Hope that is clear as mud.
We finalized our plans for Saturday. We want you to know. We hope it will be very informal but with a time of praise and worship around 4pm. If you can drop by, please do. This is the first time I have felt like I wanted to have some sort of gathering. We recognized that since the 31st falls on Saturday, it could get to be a really long day if it was just us. We would love to gather with those of you that have prayed for us for some fellowship. The details are as follows:
- Please accept this informal invitation to gather around 3:30 for a time of worship, singing and prayer starting precisely at 4:00.
- For those that can stay, we will be having a good old fashioned “potluck” dinner afterwards. Please bring a dish to share with others as we “break bread” together.
- There will also be an optional opportunity for a video scrapbook where you can share your favorite memory of our little guy.
Since Saturdays are crazy for everyone, if you cannot come at 3:30, please feel free to drop by anytime during the day; we will be home. And if you cannot come at all, we certainly understand and just ask that you pray for us at 4:00.
Gratefully, in His arms,
Drew, Nita, Asa, Mason & Barrett Meadows
Email me if you need directions at dnmeadows@comcast.netWe are also going to be taking lunch as a family to the Fire Station that responded to the 911 call the afternoon Brock died. Pray for that encounter. Thanks so much. God bless you!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Polar Bear Run '09
Thank you for all your prayers yesterday.
God carried us throughout the day. It was
overwhelming to see so many with the armbands on their wrists (and sometimes ankles).
I missed Brock so much all day long! I tried not to stare at little kids about his size as I longed to see him there. God truly used the armbands as a way to redeem this otherwise painful day for us. I
have included some pictures from the day. Drew and Barrett ran the 2k. Drew ran with Brock's number from last year. Asa, Mason and their cousins, Anne and Hannah Meadows, ran th
e 5k.My dear friend Shannon came to stand with me. As we cheered the runners on, we got a glimpse of the meaning of the verse from Hebrews 12..."Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses.....let us run the race." We were the witnesses cheering all the runners - ones we knew and ones we did not know. I have a feeling one day when we get to Heaven we will
see that Brock was also cheering his Daddy and brothers on for this race too. How wonderful then to see everyone finish the race. Everyone did great. Hannah even won third place in her age division!Among sweet memories of the day are these last two pictures.
The one to the left is our Pastor, Bryant Wright. We love this man and pray for him often. This is him finishing the race
with his eyes focused on the prize. Notice the Brockie-Band on his arm. As he ran by the first lap, we were standing on the side. He called our name and raised his arm to show us his band. What a uniquely caring and personable pastor! Thank you Bryant!Finally, in the last picture, I'm sure you
recognize the Chick-Fil-A cow. He is also wearing a Brockie-Band on his arm, I mean hoof. Once again, God's people (and Cows) made us feel loved.Many of you have asked about getting a Brockie-Band of your own. We will probably be ordering more. I'll let you know soon on that update.
Friday, January 23, 2009
7 Seconds
Last year this time Brock ran in his first Polar Bear Run.
He didn't even learn to walk until he was 16 months old!
I now see that as a gift from the Lord because we carried him for almost half his life. He started running shortly after walking, and boy was he fast! He was always paces ahead of us everywhere we went. The boys were so excited to register him for the Polar Bear Run at our church. They trained him up and down our hallway for months. Brock was really having fun just running with the big boys. Occasionally they would do the great big brother thing and let him win. He was so excited. Realizing that they would not be able to run the race with him, they worked on teaching him what "ready, set, go" meant. They would say go and not run and he would just stand there and smile at them waiting for them to take off. But the big race day finally came, and he was raring to go. Drew literally had to hold him back from 'false starting' because he was so excited to show off his skills. Remember I said he was training back and forth down the hall. So the one dash across the gym floor didn't seem like enough to him. He clearly had the best start, won the first 80% of the sprint but let up at the end. When he got to me at the finish line, he turned around and ran back to Drew and then back to me again. It was so funny. He was proud of himself. He was Living Hard.
I remember several times during the morning losing track of where he was to see him running off to speak to one of his many friends of all ages. He ran across the floor yelling, "Windsey! Windsey!" trying to get the attention of our sweet friend and babysitter - Lindsey. He then sat and gave lots of love to Rebekah Cottingham. She is a mom friend that he got to know while watching big Brother Asa's football games. He Loved hard.
Because this was such a big event just days before he died last year, we are so excited about the Brockie-Bands. In April I came out of my quiet time one morning and told Drew I had an idea. I thought we should put the words "Live Hard, Love Hard and Run to Jesus" on a wristband for our family to wear, similar to the "Livestrong" bands. These words were the ones Drew used in his eulogy about Brock. We looked into it but never got around to it. It seemed too overwhelming to me to think through getting it done. Mason really liked the idea and kept asking me when we were going to get it done. As time moved on, the Fall came and we came up with the idea that it would be neat to give one to everyone that would run in the Polar Bear Run in January. My college roommate, Ellen, was visiting me the first part of November. She was asking me where I got the title for my blog. I explained and for some reason ended up telling her about the bracelet idea. She got really quiet. I even remember thinking, "Why am I talking about this?" When I finished she said, "How many do you need?" I was overwhelmed, for I had not even thought about she and her husband owning Carolina Corporate Wear. She had a source for getting the bracelets! She said she would take care of it, and she did! God continued to open the doors for us as Mark Cottingham, our Minister in charge of the race, loved the idea. We were able to use a portion of the funds from Brock's Memorial fund to cover the costs. God is so good and into the intimate details of our lives!!
Drew and I composed some words to put with the bands and our sweet friend, Megan Reeder at Ella Bella Photo Cards, created this precious card for us. I wanted to show you the card,
but I could not get the words clear enough for you to read, so I am printing them again for you to read:
Friends came over and stuffed the card and a Brockie-Band into 2,300 baggies. Then volunteers put them in each of the runner's bags of the Polar Bear Race tomorrow. We were at the volunteer meeting last night, and Drew got to speak a minute on the reason behind the Brockie-Band being in the bags. Our desire is to honor Brock, but most importantly, to turn people to the One that has made our pain bearable. As we were leaving the building, we passed a teenager we did not know with a band on her arm. As I got in the car, I just cried. I had not anticipated the magnitude of seeing someone with a band on their arm for my son. I began to imagine how pleased God must feel as we accept His son, Jesus, and wear His name on our heart. How sweet and how precious!
One last detail, the arm bands are bright green because we matched the color of Brock's favorite pullover jacket that he wore to the Run.
Please join us in praying for the 2,300 runners who will receive the Brockie-Bands.
Finally, I leave you with a precious video we saw for the first time this week. Thank the Lord that my sister in law, Berta, caught it. It is just 7 seconds, but it captures him so well. He is the fourth child from the left. You can see Drew in his yellow hat behind him. When we saw it, Barrett, our 6 year old said, "I wanted to grab Brock right off the screen." We all miss him so much! May the image of him taking off be the one we keep when we think of "Running to Jesus."
He didn't even learn to walk until he was 16 months old!
I now see that as a gift from the Lord because we carried him for almost half his life. He started running shortly after walking, and boy was he fast! He was always paces ahead of us everywhere we went. The boys were so excited to register him for the Polar Bear Run at our church. They trained him up and down our hallway for months. Brock was really having fun just running with the big boys. Occasionally they would do the great big brother thing and let him win. He was so excited. Realizing that they would not be able to run the race with him, they worked on teaching him what "ready, set, go" meant. They would say go and not run and he would just stand there and smile at them waiting for them to take off. But the big race day finally came, and he was raring to go. Drew literally had to hold him back from 'false starting' because he was so excited to show off his skills. Remember I said he was training back and forth down the hall. So the one dash across the gym floor didn't seem like enough to him. He clearly had the best start, won the first 80% of the sprint but let up at the end. When he got to me at the finish line, he turned around and ran back to Drew and then back to me again. It was so funny. He was proud of himself. He was Living Hard.
I remember several times during the morning losing track of where he was to see him running off to speak to one of his many friends of all ages. He ran across the floor yelling, "Windsey! Windsey!" trying to get the attention of our sweet friend and babysitter - Lindsey. He then sat and gave lots of love to Rebekah Cottingham. She is a mom friend that he got to know while watching big Brother Asa's football games. He Loved hard.
Because this was such a big event just days before he died last year, we are so excited about the Brockie-Bands. In April I came out of my quiet time one morning and told Drew I had an idea. I thought we should put the words "Live Hard, Love Hard and Run to Jesus" on a wristband for our family to wear, similar to the "Livestrong" bands. These words were the ones Drew used in his eulogy about Brock. We looked into it but never got around to it. It seemed too overwhelming to me to think through getting it done. Mason really liked the idea and kept asking me when we were going to get it done. As time moved on, the Fall came and we came up with the idea that it would be neat to give one to everyone that would run in the Polar Bear Run in January. My college roommate, Ellen, was visiting me the first part of November. She was asking me where I got the title for my blog. I explained and for some reason ended up telling her about the bracelet idea. She got really quiet. I even remember thinking, "Why am I talking about this?" When I finished she said, "How many do you need?" I was overwhelmed, for I had not even thought about she and her husband owning Carolina Corporate Wear. She had a source for getting the bracelets! She said she would take care of it, and she did! God continued to open the doors for us as Mark Cottingham, our Minister in charge of the race, loved the idea. We were able to use a portion of the funds from Brock's Memorial fund to cover the costs. God is so good and into the intimate details of our lives!!
Drew and I composed some words to put with the bands and our sweet friend, Megan Reeder at Ella Bella Photo Cards, created this precious card for us. I wanted to show you the card,
but I could not get the words clear enough for you to read, so I am printing them again for you to read:Let me introduce you to a special little guy. His name is Brock Meadows, and just like you, he was Fast! In fact, he ran his first Polar Bear Run last year.
He was ready! His three older brothers had been training him down our long hallway for weeks. His new velcro shoes were tight. He had been carbo-loading on Mac n Cheese. He knew the rules; run 40 yards across the gym floor to Mama’s arms. He tied for 3rd place…that wasn’t good enough…so he ran back. Then he did it a third time, so much that Mark Cottingham joyfully proclaimed on the loud speaker, “Here he comes again!!”
He lived hard! Brock was a very healthy boy, strong as an ox. Sadly, he died days later during his afternoon nap, just before his 3rd birthday. He put more life into and gave more joy in his 1,060 short days than most men do in a lifetime. We miss him more than mere words can express, but we confidently grieve with the Hope of being with him again.
He loved hard! We learned a lot from Brock: He went at life full speed with a precious smile. He hugged with all he had. He laughed deep-belly laughs. His gusto and love were contagious! He was a bruiser that also liked to stop and rock a while.
When tragedy strikes, and it always does in one form or another, we are left with only two choices – are we going to run away from God? Or are we going to run to God? Brock ran to Him last January and is resting in His arms right now. Let’s now commit to live as Brockie lived –
Live Hard, Love Hard & RUN to Jesus!
So we share our “Brockie-Band” with you. We won’t be offended if you don’t wear it. But we wanted to give it to you anyway…to honor his life and to challenge all of us to faithfully run whatever race is set before us. The Apostle Paul frequently compared the Christian life to ‘running a race.’ Hebrews 12:1-2:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”
For more of Brock’s story and the way God is working through it, we invite you to: http://nitameadows.blogspot.com Thanks! Drew, Nita, Asa, Mason, & Barrett Meadows
Friends came over and stuffed the card and a Brockie-Band into 2,300 baggies. Then volunteers put them in each of the runner's bags of the Polar Bear Race tomorrow. We were at the volunteer meeting last night, and Drew got to speak a minute on the reason behind the Brockie-Band being in the bags. Our desire is to honor Brock, but most importantly, to turn people to the One that has made our pain bearable. As we were leaving the building, we passed a teenager we did not know with a band on her arm. As I got in the car, I just cried. I had not anticipated the magnitude of seeing someone with a band on their arm for my son. I began to imagine how pleased God must feel as we accept His son, Jesus, and wear His name on our heart. How sweet and how precious!
One last detail, the arm bands are bright green because we matched the color of Brock's favorite pullover jacket that he wore to the Run.
Please join us in praying for the 2,300 runners who will receive the Brockie-Bands.
Finally, I leave you with a precious video we saw for the first time this week. Thank the Lord that my sister in law, Berta, caught it. It is just 7 seconds, but it captures him so well. He is the fourth child from the left. You can see Drew in his yellow hat behind him. When we saw it, Barrett, our 6 year old said, "I wanted to grab Brock right off the screen." We all miss him so much! May the image of him taking off be the one we keep when we think of "Running to Jesus."
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