The Gift Of Gratitude

CORE PRACTICE #65: Remember that complaining will always bring you down; gratitude will lift you up.

See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. —1 Thessalonians 5:15-18

TONY

One year after two bombings on Boston’s Boylston Street stunned the country and disrupted America’s most prestigious long-distance race, Meb Keflezighi won the 2014 Boston Marathon, the first American man to win in thirty-one years. He’d vowed to run in honor of those who had died, whose names he’d written on his running bib. Seconds after crossing the finish line to shouts of “USA! USA!” and “Boston Strong!” his wife, Yordanos, pulled him into a bear hug so tight that Meb told her, “You’re gonna make me fall!”

I met Meb and Yordanos in 2011, and they are a truly inspiring couple. Meb is one of our country’s greatest marathoners of all time, and Yordanos has had a huge role in his success. In addition to taking Boston’s title, Meb won a silver medal in the marathon at the 2004 Olympics and won the 2009 New York City Marathon. He took fourth at the 2012 Olympics in London—the first (and only) American finisher.

What most people don’t realize, however, is how many injuries Meb has had to overcome. During the 2008 Olympic Trials, he sustained a serious stress fracture to his hip that required many months of intensive rehab. Not long before the 2013 Boston Marathon, he injured his calf when he landed wrong on his foot after jumping over a dog that lunged at him during a training run. Meb, who was born in war-torn Eritrea and settled in America with his family when he was a young boy, knows what it means to persevere. But his wife has been the key to his ability to press on, even when the odds for a comeback appeared doubtful.

Running professionally is a full-time job for Meb, who must balance daily training and conditioning with personal appearances and frequent travel. Yordanos gave up her career in financial management to care for their three daughters and manage their household. She is also Meb’s biggest cheerleader—even when injuries sideline him from a major race or a corporate sponsor drops him.

As friend and fellow Olympic marathoner Ryan Hall says, “She makes it possible for Meb to be the first one in the gym and the last one to leave.” One reason Meb handles his obligations as a professional athlete so well, says Ryan, is because he knows that “his family is doing well at home. Yordanos is an incredibly empowering person in his life.”^a

In other words, whether in good times or bad, Yordanos chooses gratitude over complaining. A few years ago, when a reporter from Running Times followed Meb on a training run, Yordanos was also there to cheer on her husband. Giving him a high five, Yordanos smiled and said, “Looking good. You’re the best-looking 37-year-old out there!”^b

We’d all be wise to emulate Meb and Yordanos. So much of life depends on our attitude, and marriage is no different. Whether our spouse is pursuing a dream, driving children around town to various activities, or simply trying to stay ahead of the next round of corporate layoffs, showing gratitude toward them can do a lot to strengthen our marriages.

After all, complaining and whining never moves us to a better place. To improve in life, we need to focus on where we want to be. Our energies and emphasis will move us in that direction. Gratitude keeps our spirits up and our outlook bright. We realize God is always in control and will guide us through each day, helping us to overcome any anxiety or problem.

We may not have spectators cheering us on like those who kept Meb charging forward at the Boston Marathon; however, the words and attitude we offer to our spouse definitely influence how well we run our own race.

Adventure Application: Imagine your life as a long-distance race. How well are you cheering each other on? Would you say that a spirit of gratitude or of complaint more often characterizes the way you approach your spouse?