Man Running Across America Stops to Help with Relief in Moore, Oklahoma

Jun 20, 2013 08:24 AM EDT

Steve Spear, the man who is running an average of one marathon per day for five months in the hopes of raising enough support to provide clean water to a community of 30,000 people in Kenya, paused his trek across the United States last Friday to serve the people who were affected by tornados in Moore, Oklahoma.

The former pastor helped those in Moore who had suffered loss during the recent storms acquire basic needs for their home. World Vision, the Christian organization that Spear is partnering with, had set up a disaster relief center where volunteers shopped for food and clothing for families in the community.

Spear’s heart to volunteer stems from his faith in the Lord - “I’m a work in progress … a follower of Christ since I was twelve years old,” he said. Spear mentioned that running has helped him to continue to learn how to be a follower of Christ, and how to live in His presence. The long-distance runner, who is also a father, said that having so many different roles in life has helped him to better understand that he is a child of God and what the Lord’s purposes are for him.

When asked what was next on his horizon, Spear said that he is waiting for direction from the Lord with open hands. For now, he will focus on the race – “This is a gargantuan run, and I have a gargantuan God,” he said.