October 18, 2016

 My nephew ran a marathon Sunday. Can you imagine? He posted on Facebook “By far the hardest thing I have ever done.” I am so proud of him, facing “the hardest thing.”

A marathon is a little over 26 miles, 26.2 to be exact. No matter the distance of the race, everyone takes it one step at a time. For some that is more steps than others. Phil is a tall fellow. His stride could be two of mine. (That makes me feel like maybe I could run a marathon if it was only brought down to my scale). Sadly, that can’t happen. It is a standard distance that doesn’t fluctuate according to the physics of the people who run it. All have to complete the miles if they desire to finish. And every runner faces his or her own voices during this test of endurance.

No matter the distance of the race, everyone takes it one step at a time.

Life can feel like a marathon, or a series of them, depending on your journey. The difference between my nephew’s marathon and mine would be the size of our strides. My race takes more steps to complete; thus, no one’s race is quite the same. One thing we all have in common is that we have to take one step at a time. We have to lift our foot and move forward, over and over again. And on days when we feel paralyzed, those are the days we need to remember Jesus’s words, “…With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” Mark 10:27.

I don’t know where you are on your journey. You may be experiencing a really comfortable stride where the road is slightly downhill and the wind is at your back. Your lungs feel clear, and you’re breathing comfortably. Or, you may be taking a steep hill. You can hear your heart pounding in your ears, there’s sweat burning your eyes and your mouth is so dry you could choke. In either place, remember, you need God to finish well. The success of the race called life is not measured by the world’s standards.

Paul teaches, in Hebrews 12:1, how to run this race. He tells us there is a crowd watching, witnessing our marathon. “Therefore we also are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

… there is a crowd watching, witnessing our marathon.

Lay aside what weighs you down. Confess your need for Him, and He does the rest through you. He provides the endurance you didn’t know you had, because it isn’t yours, it is what He gives when we open our hearts to receive it. He will go before you and surround you, because He always goes first when we put Him first. Remember, “We love Him, because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:10