A friend of mine just qualified to run in the Boston Marathon. She is quite excited. I just don’t get it. I’m not a runner. I can’t imagine pounding hours and miles on these aching joints!
But my conversation with her led to a thought – She is running to finish.
Finishing the race, to her, would mean winning. It isn’t about being the first one to cross the finish line and break the ribbon. It’s about finishing.
As believers there have been plenty of people who have crossed the finish line before us. Scriptures tell that Jesus is the forerunner (Hebrews 6:20) and all of us follow after Him.
We also have that great cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 11 that have gone before and now cheer us on in a way through their testimonies of endurance and hope.
And so it goes for us. Our race? It’s one of endurance. Why? Because of the hope that is set before us. We don’t have to worry about crossing first. We don’t have to worry about being the last one over that line. We just have to focus on running with endurance – running the race that is set before us. Your race is your race. Not mine.
I understand that running the Boston marathon is simultaneously a very individual and community experience. It is Individual – in that no one can run your race for you. You must set your pace and determine to go the distance. It is also Community – in that you are with a group of people who ‘get’ running, who want to see everyone succeed, who are in it for the duration together. Doesn’t that sound familiar? It is like us as believers. As we run our race we have a focus that is Individual and Community.
At Way of Life Coaching, this is what we are all about, helping you run your race well. We are not competitive around here. But we are really determined. We are determined to finish well and determined to help you finish well, too.
Let us know how we are doing. Better yet, let us know how you are doing!