Passionate about running, blogging, matcha green tea lattes and Jesus. Any guesses who this is??
Nope, not me.
These words describe my sweet friend Irene Tang – and add to that list anything in lime green, including her very own emoji đź’š. It’s no wonder I loved this woman from the first moment we met as assistants for the Valley Christian School Run Club. Actually I had heard about this amazing woman named Irene from several mutual friends for some time before we met and when we did it was love at first sight. Seriously. When you find someone sold out for all the same things you are it’s exciting. Then to get to know Irene myself over the next year was such a gift. We were both going through major transitions and we were connected at a heart level.
Not long before I moved to Texas I finally got to join Irene for a long run (longer than the playground at Valley Christian where we met each week to run with the elementary school kids) at her happy place, the Lafayette Reservoir. There aren’t many people who would say, at the end of a 10-mile run, “Shall we go 3 more and make it a half marathon” but this gal did, and of course I went along. I just wanted to spend time with her – laughing, running, talk talk talking.
We’ve texted and talked since then but with us both crazy and continuing to transition seasons, I get the deepest insight into Irene’s heart through her precious blog posts. You see, God downloads to Irene through her running – and she is faithful to record those messages and share them so we can learn.  In fact, Irene is a contributor to the Run for God Devotional series where she inspires so many with her humor and eloquent words.
As for her running stats, Irene is a machine. No, I’m not kidding. In the just over 10 years since Irene started running she has racked up well over 200 races (so many, in fact, she has lost track), but including one number she knows for sure – 52 marathons! I repeat, 52 marathons in 10 years! As impressive as these numbers are (and if you are not a runner, trust me, these stats are freakin’ incredible) it’s her heart for doing what Jesus calls her to do on the daily that impresses me most.
And now watching her walk through another new season – the in-between season – in-between her daughters finishing college and flying the coop to caring for both of her aging parents, she relies on God’s direction every day and so much of His direction comes through her running.
I wanted to share with you about Irene in my weekly Super Woman series because, well, first off her running stats alone make her a rockstar in my eyes. But second, and more importantly, watching her walk this road she is on now with her parents with such dignity, grace, transparency and vulnerability is such good instruction for all of us.
Please read Irene’s moving post called Late to the Race from July 15th here: Late to the Race
Irene, you inspire me daily with your strength and courage to keep running the race – both on and off the course. Your smile lights up a room and your humor has us laughing along with you, even as we are wiping away the tears. Thank you for modeling Jesus to all of us. For being a beacon of light in a world of darkness. For fighting the good fight and for continuing to Run for God, every single day.
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