Running the Race

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, letus strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”  
Hebrews 12:1 NLT

I have never been a fan of running and I have struggled with this particular verse. I understand the metaphor and the importance of removing anything that weighs us down in our walk of faith. But running – that’s just not for me. However, during Pastor Aaron’s message on Sunday, God showed me something that reminded me of my own race, and how He constantly sustains me.  
On February 14, 2005, while walking to my car in a grocery store parking lot, I was hit by a
pickup truck. And it was a big truck (Toyota Tundra to be exact) and I found myself on the
ground looking up. My first thought was “I guess I need to call home and explain I’d be a little late for dinner” followed by “If I can just go home and take a hot bath, everything will be ok in the morning”. Fortunately, wiser heads prevailed and I was a taken to the local hospital with a torn ACL and miscellaneous other ligament stains. I spent the next 6-9 months in PT and an operation to make the repair. Thankfully God was there through each step of that journey.
Now you might be wondering what does this have to do with “running a race”. There were
many days where I wondered if I would ever walk again or be without pain. As I slowly
recovered, I realized that I needed to do something outside of my normal activities to prove to myself that I was going to be okay. So, in the spring of 2006, I signed up for a Celebration Hospital fundraising event since we would be at Disney anyway. Now before you get too excited about my decision, I must confess it wasn’t a real marathon or even a 5K. I signed up for the 1-mile walk!  Yep, walk one mile in a parking lot. I asked 2 friends if they’d like to join me so there we were, 3 ladies out for 5,280 feet walk  - it sounds more impressive that way.
About two-thirds of the way round, I hit the wall. I suddenly felt overwhelmed with fear and
anxiety, no way was I going to complete this grueling 1-mile walk. My friends noticed my change in demeanor and much slower pace. They slowed down and talked me through the next few yards to the water station, encouraging me take my time and they were right there with me however long it would take.  
As I rounded the final stretch, there were a few event organizers who started to clap and cheer me on with words of encouragement like “You’re doing great” and “You’re almost there – keep going!” It was just what a needed to get be through the finish line. And my husband captured that exact moment on film so I could see just how happy I was to complete my race.
 
I believe that in Hebrews, we are reminded that each of us has a specific race that “God has set before us” I spent a great deal of time and energy trying to keep up with the elite runners, while I should have been concentrating on my own journey. As Pastor Aaron pointed out, we need to finish. It’s not about being first, second, third or even last, it’s about finishing. And God has provided us with a “crowd of witnesses” are there to encourage us every step along the way.

Even if we are temporarily on the sidelines, we can still be there to cheer on the runners (even if they are walking).