"If you just believe..."

Last night as I sat at our fundraiser, I thought of Josh Groban's Christmas song from the Polar Express, 'if you just believe...' At 7 pm there was a sparse crowd and I dismissed all of the feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness which have their roots in part in my polio experience and set ego aside. I focused on the saying from Field of Dreams, 'if you build it, they will come.' And come they did. Our dear friends and neighbors arrived with an army of parents and children all dressed for the holidays. The annual giving manager from Spaulding arrived and with her amazing fund raising experience, she helped steady my nerves and told me to not worry - people would arrive late. And arrive they did. And then there was the Silent Auction - no one had placed a bid on an item and as I sat in the church next to my dear friend and trainer, Janine I heard God say to me, "Believe Mary" and so I released it all to God and emotionally detached from any outcome - not an easy task for a control freak like myself but it felt wonderfully freeing to do so. Before I knew it, everyone had bid on at least one item. But more than the fund raising aspect of the evening was the aspect of Spirit in the room. The Fenway Quintet is phenomenal and they were overflowing with love and joy. Their music heralded God and angels. The children were spellbound as they taught about the music and then wafted beautiful sounds into the air. We celebrated the miracle of my healing and the love of Team McManus (with 3 runners and our son who is providing us with incredible emotional support as well as household support after our long weekend training runs).
We are so blessed and I am so grateful for:
Raising over $1500
The sounds of exhilaration when a family won the NE Revolution Soccer tickets on the Silent Auction
The storm miraculously ending late morning and missing eastern Massachusetts
The outpouring of community love and support
The help of angels as I decorated the church
Feeling God's loving presence surround our event
Finding the calm and confidence to focus on who was present rather than who did not show up
Trusting that all was truly well and in Divine Order
Feeling the peace and harmony in our family as we worked together in perfect tandem before, during and after the fund raiser

Time to prepare physically and mentally for tomorrow's 15 mile run!

Believe in what your heart is saying,
Hear the melody that's playing
There's no time to waste,
There so much to celebrate.
Believe in what you feel inside,
And give your dreams the wings to fly.
You have everything you need, if you just Believe.
From "Believe" - written by Glenn Ballard