Marathon

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So...I ran a marathon! Well, the marathon was fun, and I obviously survived, though at times I had thought I may not. So, I finished the grueling 26.2 miles in 5 hours, a bummer of sorts since I had planned on a much faster time. But, it really was fun! I mean, who can't have fun when people are passing out, puking, everyone's chaffing and men's nipples are bleading? I ran through all of the Disney parks and stopped a couple of times to get pictures with some of the disney characters. Bill hopped in with me at mile 20 and ran with me for 3 miles, he had the cance to run through hollywood studios (MGM) and catch some photos there. It was entertaining, and most of all God spoke a lot to me through it.

When one runs 26.2 miles, they tend to think a lot about life. And that is mostly what I thought about. It is interesting how the Bible so often relates life to a race, and I would defiately say it is much like a marathon. Life hurts.


I had trained in weather that was freezing, at times my pigtails would be icesycles at the end of my run, and I happily did not carry water with me at times, knowing I could eat snow on my longer runs. Yet, I was not prepared for what lied ahead, for certainly things rarely go as we plan, and these times when we are thrown for a loop, we have a choice. I was not prepared for the weather that would be 60 degrees warmer, with a 90% humidity, all of the training could not have prepared me for the strength I needed to push through to the end of the race, I had the choice to rejoice in my sufferings because suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces character and character hope...
and hope does not disappoint. -Romans 5:4

In the disney marathon over 18,000 people started and there were only 12,964 Total Finishers. And because life hurts, people sometimes give up.

I realized, as with life, to run something of this kind of a challenge, we must have people who love and support us, people who help us get throught the tough times. People who stand on the sidelines and cheer, at times making a fool of themselves, just to help you along the way. People who pray with and interceed for us, people who suffer alongside us, and people who will point us toward our Goal, our Prize. There must be those who wait at the finish line to offer tears with the success and tend to our wounded bodies. Otherwise, will we survive the race?

I fully realize I can never know what is in each man's heart, and certainly did not judge people with certain sayings on their shirts, yet I appreciated the further illustration the shirts provided for life.
Some people had shirts that said "I am doing this for you mom/dad" another man had a shirt on that read, "I hope I have become the man you always wanted me to be mom, I'm doing this for you". Many of us strive all of our lives to honor, please and live up to certain peoples ideals for us, often times suffering greatly for the affrimation we are searching for, and the pleasing of another, and I must queston, does this ever satisfy or deliver what we are looking for?


Many people were running on teams that supported those who suffer with various diseases such as cancer, stroke, AIDS, alzeimers and artheritis...
the strong suffering on behalf and alongside of those who are suffering.

Some people had Scripture on their shirts, one of the most famous being, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". many of them participated in a prayer before the race began...Are we people who recognize our weakness and God's strength?

I laughed, I cried, I worshipped and I have had great support through it all. As it was tough at times, I wanted to quit, yet I kept on and eventually the Finish line came clearly into view. As I crossed, thousands of people were cheering, my heart was pounding and tears streamed down my face as someone gently put a metal around my neck and a sliver blanket around my shoulders. Disappointed in how weak I had been and how I had not finished as expected, I walked on with my head down, my body broken. And as I walked further, I saw my fathers face, as he said,...
well done..."I am so proud of you"

And so, may we look forward to when God will fully reconcile this world back to Himself through his peace and cover us in the sliver cloak of grace, putting a metal (or crown) around our neck and call us by name, saying, well done my good and faithful child! And may we not only look to that day, longing for this day of suffering to disappear, but may we keep our eyes fixed on the hope that we cling to, being ambassadors of this hope and peace on earth as God is using all of us to usher in this kingdon of grace and peace.

So, I wanted to say thank you to all of you who have been involved in this with me one way or another. My family, my running partners, those of you who were praying and those of you who were there, and those of you who helped get me there. Thank you, because this was so much bigger than just the race, it was something I learned about life as well, and illustration that God has given me through all of you and through the race to help me see more clearly the True Finish Line, the Goal, the Prize.


"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, will award me on that day- and not only me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." 2 Tim 4:7-8