Post Race Answered Prayer

Before my race day my friends asked me, “If you could ask for anything on your race day what would it be?” 

My answer? 

“I’d love to see someone supernaturally healed, someone meet Jesus, and exceed my fundraising goal.” 

And of course, no flat tires. 

Looking back, I think even those were even too small of prayers to pray.

My race went almost seamlessly. I mean, my stomach hurt the whole time and I ate probably about half the calories I had planned. Nonetheless, I had no flat tires, flew up hills that most were walking up, and only saw one person with a slight limp in regards to injury. 

My friends were holding posters and got to have a few conversations with people, but as I finished the race, I soon forgot the requests I had asked of God. I was just overwhelmed my the support and that I finished way beyond my goal and exceeded my fundraising goal by $1700. (My goal was to get under 7 hours, maybe if I did my best 6:30...but I finished in 6 hours 17 min!) 

The time after finishing my race was a blur. I had to immediately pick up my bike and start the drive north to LA to my friend’s house where I was staying the night and didn’t get food for at least an hour or so after my race. The two-hour drive was brutal and I didn’t realize how exhausted I was. 

Then I got a text the plumbing was out at the house I was going to stay at. 

Of course, the only time I really needed a shower and a hot tub. 

The thought of driving another hour to a friend’s house and back to find a shower made me want to cry, but my friend James stopped me and said, “Let’s pray.” 

He started, “Hey God, we believe you have an upgrade for us in this and will get Lisa and Daria an even better shower, even one where they can sit down or something.” 

As we prayed, we thought about splurging on a hotel, but none had rooms for less than $200. We kept praying and all of a sudden Daria spoke up, “I heard the word ‘Hibiscus’!” 

I know that sounds odd but we went with it. 

My brother had a Best Western coupon and there was one that happened to be 15 minutes away near Hibiscus St. When we called we were told there was one room left, “It’s actually our handicap room but the only difference is that there is a sit-down shower.” 

You can’t make this stuff up. 

When we arrived to the hotel we were greeted by a beautiful Hibiscus bush and a hot tub surrounded by palm trees. I thought I was in heaven. 

The guy at the front desk was so kind, giving us discounts, bringing a rollaway. As he left our room I was so grateful for his kindness I really wanted to bless him in some way. So I stopped him and asked, “Hey Alex, if you could have a miracle in your life right now, what would it be?” 

Without skipping a beat he said, “I would love healing for my thyroid cancer.” 

“Can we pray?” 

“Sure, what do I do?” 

And with that James prayed a 30-second prayer of healing, Alex said we were cool and asked if we smoked weed, and later James and Daria got to tell him the story of how we ended up at that hotel. 

It wasn’t until sitting in the hot tub that night that I remembered my prayer. “Someone healed and someone meeting Jesus” 

Now I don’t know for sure if Alex got healed. He goes in to check if he needs surgery next week, but I choose to believe he did. I choose to believe that was my answered prayer and that it all wasn’t a coincidence. People are so worth the inconvenience and $100 to get a hotel for the night so that they can know if nothing else that this is true: God sees them. 

And that was the same reason I did this whole thing to begin with. 




*Note I changed the name of the worker at the front desk of the hotel for privacy sake. 

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