Too Little: Giving It All She Had

Jul 20

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you.
— Isaiah 41:10 NLT

Fayetteville, PA — The doctor’s diagnosis brought new pain to Susan Russell’s face: Iliotibial band syndrome. It was an excruciating knee injury common to bikers and runners in serious training. It would take time to heal. The good news was that, with medication, therapy, and RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation), the pain was likely to improve significantly in seven days. The bad news: The Seagull Century—a 100-mile charity bike tour along the coast of Maryland—was just five days away.

Moved by compassion for the orphans and abandoned kids of Cambodia’s Train Up Children residential home, Sue had chosen them to benefit from her fundraising efforts. Images of them in her mind and awareness of the money needed to provide them a safe and loving home had motivated her through the months of training. The long hours, the self-discipline required, the sweat, aches, and bone weariness had all seemed worth it as long as she thought of them.

But now, completing the ride seemed out of the question. Surely no one expected her to keep going. It had all been for nothing.

Except it wasn’t. Sue wouldn’t quit without giving it everything she had—and maybe a little bit more. With the same determination she had used to train, Sue focused on therapy and recovery. Finally, her doctor gave her permission to ride until the pain got too bad.

With prayer and pain medication—with a healthy dose of sheer grit and determination—Sue crossed the finish line. She completed the 100-mile course and raised $3,500* for Train Up Children’s Home through Asia’s Little Ones.

*At the time of the race, Sue had raised $3,200; additional donations came in later for a total of $3,500.