His gaze locked on what lay ahead, Connor swept past the sidelines. He seemed oblivious to the crowd and focused on the goal. “Time!” the official said, as my son burst across the finish line.
This morning I woke up feeling like I hadn’t slept–as if I had been in a race, too. Family life has been a whirlwind this week–complete with visits to the ER, trips to the vet’s office, school concerts, complaints at work, and not much down time. I’m burned out. Beat up. Tired. Have you been there? Do life’s ups and downs sometimes chip away at your fortitude?
As I lay on my bed wishing for just thirty more minutes of sleep, the image of Connor running through the rope at the end of those 200 meters flashed into my mind. I know he’d been weary, but my son persevered–even after a 4:30 a.m. get up, 6:30 a.m. football practice, regular school day and then a 4:30 p.m. track meet.
Instead of complaining, Connor ran the race. He stayed the course. He won.
Unknowingly, my son reminded me of the apostle Paul’s words, “1 Cor.24-25You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally.
26-27I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got.” (The Message)
Today, I’m going to look ahead with my eyes focused on the goal. I might need to walk when I’m weary, but I’ll get there. So will you.
Let’t give it everything we’ve got.
