A couple weeks ago, I ran in my first-ever half marathon, and it was amazing. The cold, crisp November air was so refreshing against my skin as I ran the 13.1 mile route around Huntington, WV. It has been my goal to run a half marathon for such a long time that finishing it was an absolutely surreal feeling.
Perhaps the most amazing thing for me was that a mere 5 months earlier, I was down and out with a fractured ankle. It was Saturday, May 28. The weather was perfect for running. I tied up my laces and headed out the door. I was about a mile and a half in when I stepped into a shallow pot hole and twisted my ankle. Now I, being the athlete that I was in high school, had suffered from several injuries, including my fair share of sprained ankles. However, the pain from this was unlike anything I had ever felt before, and I felt like I was going to vomit. After allowing myself a few minutes to get myself together, I stood to my feet. Blood gushed from my knees from where I had fallen and my ankle was throbbing, but thankfully I had a friend with me to help me walk back to my house.
Once we had arrived, both he and my mom rushed around to clean the blood off of me and get me ice and all of the other necessities I needed. Then my mom took me to get my ankle x-rayed, and a couple days later we found out that it was fractured. My plan had been to train all summer to ensure that I was in great shape when November 6 arrived. Now, my plans were ruined. I didn't think I'd even be able to run. I knew I'd be out for months and I'd lose all of the endurance that I had already worked so hard to build up.
It wasn't until August that I picked up running again. Even then, my ankle still hurt. However, I was determined. I had my heart and mind set on that half marathon in November. Within the first couple days of running again, I managed to sprain my other ankle. At this point, I began to think it was hopeless. I thought I didn't have a chance.
However, if you know me, you know I'm stubborn. Once my heart and mind are set on something, I simply do not let go. I will go through pain. I will push myself to the max. I will not give up.
So I ran. I ran at least 3 days a week for the next 3 months with my only focus being on completing that race. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of endurance I had retained from before and also from the workouts I had been doing in the interim time when I was unable to run. I found myself getting stronger and being able to go longer each time I ran.
When it came time for the actual race, I was excited and anxious. I was so excited that I was actually doing it; I was actually going to run a half marathon. I was anxious because my ankle had really been bothering me from the cold front that we were facing and because I hadn't yet ran a full 13.1 miles in my training.
The gun sounded, and I began the race with a couple of friends. Eventually, though, we parted ways as I ran ahead. Midway into the race, another friend joined me for about a two mile period just because he wanted to support and encourage me during my race. Then it came down to the last two miles of the race. I was on my own. I was exhausted. My ankle, which was all wrapped up in preparation for the race, was really aching at this point. But despite all of this, what kept me going was that finish line. What kept me going was the reward at the end of the race. What kept me going was what lied beyond the race itself.
In these last two miles, I wasn't thinking about what had happened five months ago. I wasn't dwelling on my pain. I wasn't focusing on who had stayed or left. All I could think about was finishing... Finishing strong.
In Philippians 3:12-14, Paul writes, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Life is a race. Life is a marathon.
Along this race of life, people are going to be running at different paces. People are going to run ahead and some will run behind. Some people may never make it to the race. Some may give up. Some may quit. Sometimes you are going to fall and get hurt. Sometimes you are going to have to suffer through the pain. Satan is going to try to bring and keep you down. But we have to keep going. We have to keep running.
God will bring people along the race to pick you up and clean up your bloody wounds, like my mom and my friend did. God will bring people to set your pace, like Matt and Amber did at the beginning of my race. God will bring people to encourage you in the middle of the race when your struggling to make it, like Caleb did for those few miles. God will provide strength when our legs feel like collapsing, like He did in those final two miles. The thing that we have to keep in mind in this race of life is that we have to keep our eyes on the prize. We have to focus on our goal- our goal to meet Jesus face to face one day. If we focus on anything less than eternity than we will be tempted to give up.
If during my half marathon, I had focused on the pain in my ankle, I may have wanted to throw in the towel. I may have stopped and just quit. If I had focused on the people I left behind, then I may have decided the prize wasn't worth it. I may have turned back, instead of continuing to look and push toward that finish line ahead.
In life, we are going to face pain and hardships, but we have to keep going. We have to push through, despite our pain. People are going to walk out of our lives, but we have to keep moving forward. We have to understand that there is purpose in that.
There will certainly be times where we think it's hopeless and like we don't have a chance, just like I did after I had fractured one ankle and sprained the other. But we do have a hope. Our hope is in Jesus Christ. Our hope is in eternity. We cannot let the things of this world take that hope away from us.
If you spend all your time focusing on where you've been, you may never make it to where you're going. If you stop and stay where you're at, you'll never get that prize at the end. You'll never receive that satisfaction from finishing the race and giving it all you had.
Don't just do as little as you can on the race; give it your all. Give it everything you have. Everything you have may be at a sprinter's pace. Everything you have may be at a walking pace. As we race, we will see others to the side- others who did not make it to the race, others who took a break, others who gave up.... We cannot be these people. We cannot become stagnant in our pursuit of God. We simply cannot just stop in the middle of our race. Sure, sometimes will be faster or slower than other times, but the truth is that it doesn't matter how fast you go; all that matters is that you don't stop moving forward.
Romans 5:3-4 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope.
James 1:12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
