Turkeys and trots and such…
Good morning!
Are we all recovered from turkey and carb consumption? Me too. The last of our bird is swimming in a sea of veggies and broth in the fridge waiting to be warmed for dinner tonight.
Speaking of turkeys…over the years our family has participated in various ways in the annual Turkey Trot at a local park.
By participated, I mean, some have run and I have cheered said runners on while standing safely off the track sipping warm coffee and holding their jackets.
Because you will never hear me say that competing in a running event is on my bucket list.
This year Russ set a goal to run the 10K for the first time.
I was in full support and set out my layering of clothes and a thermal cup for my coffee the night before in anticipation of cheering him on.
But Saturday morning I woke with some kind of bug and was so dizzy (I mean, really dizzy…not just my normal dizzy) that I couldn’t accompany him to the race.
So in drizzling cold winter yuk, he headed to the park by himself.
He said at one point he almost turned back but pushed through, got his shirt and ran his race.
He did well on his time and all limbs, joints and muscles were working on his return home.
I was so proud of him for the discipline of training and the gumption to follow through despite the adverse conditions.
And so this morning as I did my devotions, I thought of him and the picture this gives us of Hebrews 12:1…
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. (NASB)
Surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses….
Yes, Russ’s fan club was scattered all over the USA and the president was crashed on the couch at home…but he knew we were believing in him and pulling for him even though there was no visible sign of us along the way.
And throwing off anything that would hinder…
like all the days leading up to the race when he didn’t feel like training, or he pulled a muscle and had to wait for it to heal, or that morning of the race when it would have been easy to return to a nice warm home.
Run with endurance…
because at times that finish line seemed a long way off and there are always shortcuts back to the pavilion.
But he ran his race. And he finished.
You and I run a race every day and for all of our days that we live.
The Derek Prince devotion from this morning said this verse gives us four keys to finishing that race…
* The right mental attitude
* Self-control
* Endurance
*Having our eyes fixed on Jesus
I will most likely never run a 10K alongside Russ. But every day that he and I are on planet earth together, we run our race.
I pray we run it well. I am thankful for those who run alongside us. For those who have gone before and those who are coming behind.
I pray we all run our race with endurance.
I pray we remember to encourage others in their race.
God bless you and yours as we approach the end of 2015.
Do not grow weary…keep running your race…finish strong.
<3