Falling

If you have run very much, you have fallen.  I was on a trip in Indonesia back when I still had knees and was running in the evening essentially to clear my mind from a bad day and to avoid further conflict.  On the way back I tripped on a crack in the pavement and went down hard.  I remember that fall primarily because of where it happened.  There are many more that I do not remember.

Some friends of mine ran a half marathon last weekend.  They told me that toward the middle of the race a lady in front of them went down.  She was dehydrated and her body quit.  Same thing happened to a friend of ours in the Tulsa Run a few years ago.  Less than 100 yards from the finish she collapsed and was not able to finish the race.

Falling is part of this race.  Proverbs 24:16 tells us that we have to keep getting up.  Ecclesiastes 4:9 – 10 reminds us that it is good not to be running alone.  My friends in the half marathon stopped to help the lady who fell, in the process applying well Galatians 6:1.  We will fall, fail, in this race we in which we are engaged.  So will our kids.  So will our friends who are also in the race.  When we fall we have to get up and we may need help to do that.  When our kids fall we have to encourage them to continue.  Same with our friends.  We may need to help them.

Falling is part of the race.

Running

Yesterday and the day before I wrote about Finishing and Starting this race in which we find ourselves.  We also have to run it.  Hebrews 12:1 – 2, likens this endeavor to a marathon, with a cheering crowd massed along the route.  The crowd consists of those who have already finished well.

My sons and some of their friends and in-laws recently completed a Tough Mudder.  If you do not know what that is, not surprised, it has only been around for 2 years.  It is a 12 mile obstacle course run with 20 – 30 military style obstacles essentially run through mud.  The last few obstacles are electrified delivering near paralyzing shocks to those who touch the dangling wires hanging over the mud pit.

There is a pledge that the participants take before the run:

• I understand that Tough Mudder is not a race but a challenge.
• I put teamwork and camaraderie before my course time.
• I do not whine – kids whine.
• I help my fellow Mudders complete the course.
• I overcome all fears.

I can pretty much put a Bible verse next to each one of those.

This Christian race is much like a Tough Mudder.  The obstacles are put there either by the enemy, our bad choices, or the Lord.  We cannot get through alone.  We are not to complain but trust.

We are to daily run our course well.

Starting

Yesterday I shared that it was important to finish well and that required finishing each day well.  This morning as a group of us were talking through John 16 – 21, it occurred to me that to finish each day well one has to start.

Each day when I arise I need to renew my relationship with Christ.  If I do not start, finishing is not much of an option.  Lamentations 3:22 – 23, came to mind as I was thinking through this.  Each morning I have to engage in the Lord’s lovingkindness.

There have been periods of time that I have not done well with this.  Busyness or planning things early in the morning that seem to have greater importance at the time, or simply just choosing to not do what I know I need to do.  Those days I do not start, I do not finish.