What if that bucket of tears was for tomorrows dream come true?
What if those nightmare of realities were paving the way for tomorrows dream come true?
What if those broken promises were purposeful for tomorrows dream come true?
What if the days of barely scraping by were for tomorrows dream come true?
What if the orphaned child or the bouts of depression were all for tomorrows dream come true?
What if the reckless recoveries, the mindless dreams, the raging screams of hollowed grief were all for tomorrows dream come true?
What if the childhood addiction and addiction unseen were all for tomorrows dream come true?
What if the seasons trapped in a broken body were all for tomorrows dream come true?
What if the disappointments and the discouragements were all for tomorrows dream come true?
What if the cancer that ravaged me was all for tomorrows dream come true?
What if it ALL HAD A PURPOSE?
BECAUSE it DID.
I can't say for certain it was all for tomorrows dream come true, but I can say this with certainty, the Lord had a purpose for it all.
What if your dream come true was a dream you didn't even know you had.
WESTERN STATES
There are miracles one can't explains: BUT GOD.
In the darkest, deepest depths, The Lord is shaping that dream-
the becoming of Tomorrows Dream Come True.
Western States is a dream come true for many ultra runners.
In 2025, they had 9,993 applicants, The race is limited to 369 runners.
In 2025, 109 of those 369 were automatic entrants leaving the 260 lottery spots.
The odds of being selected with very few tickets are extremely low, making the DREAM of running Western States more remarkable.
So, with nearly 10,000 applicants chasing 260 lottery spots, literally means you are running against the odds of getting selected, about 2.6% in a best-case scenario IF everyone had equal opportunity but that's not the case.
BAFFLED at the RAFFLE of Western States: The BACK Story.
Western States does 2 RAFFLE DRAWINGS each year: the Friday before the race in June and at the lottery in December. Each raffle winner gets a free automatic entry to the run.
If you are one of the lucky ones to win the raffle into the iconic race you still have to have a qualifying 100 miler.
In December of 2024, Joe Burns had his dream come true, he won a raffle spot! These raffle spots give up to 5 winners depending on how much money they raise. The raffle is a ticket purchase raffle that awards automatic, free entries. The tickets are sold by mail/in person (5$ each; 4$ when buying 10+)
Like me and many others Joe Burns had this same dream. And he was a lucky winner, HOWEVER, he still had to present a qualifying race. Joe worked hard all 2025 to make that happen. In October, Joe race Hennepin 100. All heart, grit and hope he did everything to finish but his feet were having no part of it and he was not able to complete the race.
The raffles are transferrable BUT again, the person had to have completed a Western States qualifying race.
Joe did some behind the scenes work. He contacted the RD and asked if he could transfer his entry. He shared I had run Sulphur Springs 100 in May, and it was a qualifying race. Joe then secretly contacted Andy and together they orchestrated the unforgettable surprise.
God of the What If's
I was counting the days down until I could put my measly ticket into the lottery, knowing the odds of getting into Western States were slim to none. And then came this GIFT.
It left me speechless.
At home processing this I was quiet in humble gratitude that the Lord would orchestrate something so extraordinary.
My hearts dialogue was- and still is-one of complete AWE.
Who am I, Lord?
Just a ragamuffin, a nobody by the world's standards. YET, even on the moments when I question His purpose, question the pain and can't find the point of so many things He continues to show Himself in great and mighty ways. He shows me He has never forgotten me or my dreams.
Those moments of heartbreak and hardship, of confusion and silence are where His perseverance becomes my story. He has asked me to do the hard things in life and trusted me with great weight. They are proving grounds of FAITH. The place HOPE flickers and endurance is tested.
WHAT if every hardship, every unanswered prayer, every tear shed in the dark is really a stepping stone- a test of faith, a lesson of perseverance, a seed of hope? Because I believe behind every tear, every trial, the Lord is shaping REDEMPTION, if we just don't give up.
I believe the LORD wastes nothing. He has DREAMS we never thought would come true and dreams we never had available for us if we never quit doing the hard things.
The Lords Sense of Humor:
Ironically, when Joe surprised me with the raffle ticket, I was already nursing an a piriformis/sciatica injury. Funny how dreams can come true when you are dealing with a pain in the arse! Timing is always Gods specialty, and so is His sense of humor!
CHICAGO MARATHON
Thank you for all the prayers!!
Thank you for all the prayers!!
4h02 minutes powered by mostly prayers and port-potties! I ran with Jazz and Donny, and let's just say I've never logged so many pit stops in one race.
My legs were fine, but my tush protested the first half. I found my second wind and thankfully things finally loosened up as I tried to chase a sub 4 hour with the guys. Those bathroom breaks had other plans, like over 10 minutes! However, we laughed our way through Chicago and I wouldn't trade one mile of it!
Grand Rapids MARATHON
I shivered and shook my way through with Sarah K bandit running it for extra support! I had instant relief when I spotted the BIGGBY coffee shop just a couple blocks past the finish line!
After both these marathons, Joe presented his gift, and I knew to settle down and let my body heal.
Ephesians 3:20
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us."
In Peace, Not Pieces
Anita
Wow! What an incredibly surprise gift!!! Looking forward to the stories! You’re a rockstar! ❤️
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