OK…so this is a bit of a “first” post. Usually we just post our daily devotions here but lately I've felt a bit of a rumbling to share my thoughts and musings on day-to-day life…so here goes!

Last weekend I achieved a life goal. I completed the City2Surf charity fun run in Sydney. It was 14 kms long, the longest run I've ever done in my life. Full stop.

I started running in February this year. I love the ocean and so it started with light, bare foot runs on the beach. But before long I found myself doing 8kms a day. I had no idea where it came from but it was so invigorating and most of all, addictive!

The more I ran, the clearer my mind got. It was time to think and learn. I was often listening to books as a I ran. One would say it was “me time”…

At the starting line of the City2Surf, I was astounded at just how many people were in my starting group – one of six groups. It was a sea of people and the atmosphere of the city was electric and alive.

I say it was a sea of people, because that's how it first appeared in the beginning, but as I ran, the humanness and uniqueness of each person became so apparent to me.

It's an interesting run, one of the largest in the world, with may people from all walks of life. Some people participating by just walking and others seriously competing for the fastest time.

What I really loved seeing was all these different people – with different backgrounds, stories, hurts, needs, desires, political preferences, religious views, sexual orientation, appearances, even different clothing – all just running in the same direction. It was a human race – full of humanity heading on the same course. Going down the same path. United by the direction in which each one was heading. None of the differences were reason for division but they were laid aside for the day to complete one common task. To run together.

Often we're so caught up in our own little race in this life, that we don't see that we're all heading in the same direction. When you look at the big picture, regardless of any difference we might have with other people, we are all born… we all struggle in some way, shape or form and we all die. It's a course set for every human being. A possibility to relate. A commonality to unite us.

Another element I loved was seeing lots of walkers. Even though many people stopped running, they didn't stop moving forward.

When life gets tiring there's a temptation to stop; to park the car and give up. To bow out of the race. But the human race is not about the best time across the line… it's about finishing and finishing well! Whatever you're facing, don't give up hope. Don't give up on moving forward. There's plenty of others struggling with the pace… you're not alone!

In another instance I witnessed a girl fall over in the middle of a pack. No one stepped around her but almost instantly the crowd forgot their target of completing the race, and began assisting her back to her feet and checking that she was ok.

Once again, when running our ‘daily life' race, our focus on the target can force us to miss others who are in need… or just plain ignore them for the sake of reaching our own goals. I think one of the highest purposes for our existence is to help other people. To look at them as not disconnected from who we are, but vital and imperative to the whole human race and in turn, our own life. Each one has value and is valued.

It's funny to think that something as simple as a fun run could highlight so much brilliance and uniqueness in my fellow humans, but it did. And in what has been a different season in my life, it's refreshing to look at people and see individuals… and hope!

Next year I hope you'll join me in Sydney's City2Surf.

Much love…