Apr
26
2012
Staggered Start
Posted in Daily Living 4 Comments
My oldest son ran track all through high school and college.
He ran the 400 meter race.
I told him that he appeared to have after burners which kicked in on the last curve.
My son is currently in law school, and no longer runs track.
Now, he runs for exercise.
I was amazed at the amount of training and perseverance required to run on a track team.
The race itself lasted only a few minutes, but the preparation beforehand was intense.
Running required skill, stamina, and determination.
If you watch young children run in a race, perhaps in the neighborhood or for field day at school, they will line up together along the starting line.
They begin after they hear: Ready, Set, Go!
A track runs in a counter clockwise direction, which means you are always turning left.
Rather than beginning in a straight line when starting a race, the runners are staggered.
This is to compensate for the extra distance you run by being further away from the center.
In the end, all the runners have run the same distance, but at the starting line, to a novice like me, it sure didn’t seem that way.
Our Christian walk is like a race.
We need skill, stamina, and determination to run.
Much training and perseverance is required.
The race of life can get very intense.
We, like the track runners, also begin with a staggered start.
We are not at the same place in our spiritual journey.
Some of us are further away from the Center.
We do not run at the same speed.
Some of us are sprinters…we start fast and end fast.
Some of us are long distance runners…keeping a steady pace of endurance.
Some of us are hurdlers, jumping over the obstacles in our path…sometimes stumbling.
But our goal is the same.
We run to reach the finish line.
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
(1 Corinthians 9:24, 25)
We will get a crown for the race we have run.
We will gladly lay our crowns at the feet of our Lord Jesus.
That is where they belong anyway.
He is the reason we run the race well.
We do not run to earn His favor.
We run the race with gratitude for all He has done for us.
There are many hurdles that we must jump over along the way.
Sometimes our foot slips, or gets caught, and we stumble.
But we run on!
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:29-31)
Thankfully, there is always someone cheering on the sidelines.
Often, the ones cheering have already finished the race.
A runner can get pretty tired and needs a bit of encouragement to continue.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Hebrews 12:1)
The greatest accomplishment is not that the runner starts, but that he finishes the race.
Often, the runner has nothing left to give, but he must run a little bit more.
When the last curve seems so far away, the runner needs the after burners to kick in and give him the boost he needs to finish well.
The runner looks straight ahead.
The finish line is in sight.
He sees Someone waiting for him there…with scarred hands and feet.
That Someone has already run the race, and it left Him bruised and bloodied…
But victorious!
The runner has Someone who has gone before.
Someone to show him how it is done.
Someone cheering him on from the sidelines.
Well done, good and faithful servant. (Matthew 25:21)
The runner crosses the finish line.
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 to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.
(2 Timothy 4:7,8)
I love this analogy mom! Thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you Gina, so beautifully written. What a wonderful way to look at our journey/race to know that He is at the finish line cheering us on. I love the picture this puts in my mind.
Thank you, Tristie.
I love to think about that, too.
It is so comforting to know that He is there with us.
It spurs us on…to run well.
Gina
I love it as well, Claire.
I am also grateful that He puts people around us to cheer us on, as well. It is a privilege to be part of YOUR cheering section!
I love you.
MOM