Running MY Race
We love attending our church’s Wednesday night’s “Family Night”. We enjoy a delicious meal then move to one of our many choices of Bible Studies – from young to old. I particularly enjoy our Women’s Bible Study.
This blog is spawned from last week’s start of this new year’s study. It is based on Hebrews 12:1 ”……..Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”
Our workbook says this: “After running a track race, a runner must strip down to the bare minimum, so they don’t weigh themselves down. In the study this week, we will look at those things that are weighing us down in our own race.”
I relate to this study. Thirteen years ago, I began to train for running a half-marathon. With my coach’s training, that began with “baby steps” to building up to running miles a day, I ran my first 13.1 half-marathon. It was a blistering, cold icy rain in the 2011 Oklahoma City Marathon. It was worth it!
That run gave me the determination to run even more half-marathons, including one in Vancouver, BC Canada. Been there, done that and now I can tell the story of a “has been”! Today it is the elliptical equipment that keeps me “running”.
I could quickly shift from focusing on “my race”, the one that’s marked for me, and start comparing myself to others who run longer and harder.
My last marathon was a 5K in San Antonio last year. But this race was more about me cheering on other women who had NEVER run a race of any kind. Time didn’t matter for my race. I wanted to be there to run and be those women’s cheerleaders.
My time didn’t matter. I simply wanted to cross the finish line. But, oops! While looking for it, my foot caught a lip in the sidewalk. I faceplanted and had to go to the medical tent for repair of the scrapes and lacerations.
My eyes were not focused on “my race”. That wasn’t the first time. I had other mishaps in other races. In fact, one mile into the Vancouver marathon, a lady carrying groceries stepped into my pathway. She tripped me and there I was with hands and arms bleeding from the fall. It didn’t stop me from finishing my race!
Among the basics for running (or even walking) is “keep your eyes on where you are going”. The distractions can keep us from seeing the uneven pavement, the stones in our pathway, or puddles in the road – all of which can be that obstacle that sends us tumbling.
The older my sweet mama became, the more focused she was on her step – her race. She had too many friends with broken hips, legs or arms that came because of carelessness – not focusing on “their race”.
It’s the same principle as we run our “life races”. Again, Hebrews 12:1-3 says “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, FIXING OUR EYES on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith….”
The cure to eliminating distractions and from comparing ourselves to others is fixing our eyes on our Coach, Jesus. After all, He is more about completing our race rather than competing in our race.
I want to finish my race strong which means I’m keeping my eyes on Jesus. I’m running to the Finish Line set just for me, and when I get there, He WILL BE there waiting for me…..with arms open wide!
Come on and join me! Let’s get on our running shoes, fix our eyes on Jesus, and RUN OUR RACE together to the Finish Line!