I have been a runner since the age of twelve. To be honest, I got my initial start because I was getting teased at school due to my Little Debbie addiction, which caused a slight waist expansion at an early age. My dad had a solution-based parenting style so his words of wisdom when I came to him with the hurt feelings of a young girl were, “Get in the car. We are going to the sporting goods store.” He bought me my first pair of running shoes and told me the best thing to do about the teasing was to build my own confidence and prove them wrong. So, he told me he was going to help me get moving to do just that. I told him I didn’t know if I could run very long. He told me, “That’s okay, just run a block and then walk a block until you can run all the blocks.” It sounded simple enough, so I started doing just that.
It didn’t take long at all, and running became my newfound love. I found freedom in running. I could go anywhere in any direction as fast as my legs would take me. I felt I could go on and on and on. And I did. I quickly moved to running five miles every day before school. Soon after the start of my running routine, I forgot all about the reason I started and how hard I thought it would be to get going. As life progressed, I ran several marathons and half marathons in my early adulthood. I had made distance running a lifestyle.
However, in a new season of life, with young children I got out of the running habit. I wanted to reinsert running into my daily routine, so I set a challenge with a friend, not just to run regularly again, but to complete another marathon. And a year later, I did just that. What a joy to have my husband, young children, and mom, all holding signs and cheering me across the finish line for this comeback!
I cannot help but draw the parallels to scripture in training for and running a long-lasting race, especially since the parallels were already drawn for me at the 2024 SBCV Annual Homecoming by H.B. Charles. He spoke on 2 Timothy 4:7-8 in his address to the pastors and church members in the audience. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. There is reserved for me in the future the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved His appearing.”
He spoke about the goal of marathon runners being to finish, and he was right. Running a long race always brings unknowns of what could happen. You could get sick, cramp, lose energy and stamina. There is much preparation physically and mentally required. I see in the Christian life the same focus must be on our Christian race. We are in a marathon; this is not about the short-term and running a long race takes focus and preparation. Even if you must take a break in some way to rest or refuel as I did with running, come back to the race, and throw off those hindrances along the way (Hebrews 12:1). May we all put in the focus and preparation through faithfulness to God, His Word, His church, and His work to say we have fought the good fight and finished the race, all while keeping the faith!
