Life is like a marathon

I have some time in my hands today, which is a blessing.  August has been filled with many duties, spending two holidays to work. But so happy to share with you that the first part of the job has been completed, and I have now passed on the baton to the next person who will complete the project.

Ah, life is like a marathon, don't you think?  I recently watched the film, Without Limits, which chronicles the life of Steve Prefontaine, an American long-distance runner who was the greatest runner of his time.  Sadly, he died a a young age of 24 in a car accident. 

Pre, as he was fondly called, saw running as an art.  He said, "Some people create with words or with music or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run."

"I like to make people stop and say, 'I've never seen anyone run like that before.'  It's more than just a race, it's a style. It's doing something better than anyone else. It's being creative."

I've never heard anyone describe running as an art form before. He loved running with a passion.  I thought, life should be lived like that with as much passion one can muster – focusing one's energy, time and resources into creating a beautiful life.

To me a beautiful life means finding that true joy and contentment knowing that you are doing what you were meant to do in this life. If a runner, to run well. If a business person, to do business to the best of one's abilities.

To be able to use all that we've got and at the end of our lives to be able to tell God as Erma Bombeck puts it, "I used everything You gave me," that benefited others not only myself. The gifts we have received are not meant to be kept (reminds me of the parable of the talents) but are meant to be multiplied and shared. We are blessed to be a blessing.

I've seen runners prepare for a marathon and it takes a lot of discipline and perseverance. Simply put, it is hard work. There are days, one does not want to get up and do it.  But as Pre would say, "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."

He considered every day as a gift, especially when he was running. I presume that it wasn't always pleasant. There are days when you want to stop, and you wonder why you are doing all that you are doing. But there is something to be learned about Pre, he loved running even when it hurt and he kept on moving towards his goal.

Well, there are indeed days one needs to grit his or her teeth and just do it. It's the first step that's always the hardest but when the feet finds its rhythm, running becomes joy. It is a bliss, like life. 

Life is a gift and all that we have are simply entrusted to us. We need to make the most of what we have because whether we like it or not, there is a finish line. The clock is always ticking.

We will need to pace ourselves in order to win this race called life, so as not to be burnt out and be able to do more. Rest when you need to and when you've replenished yourself, run again. Perhaps, it's not the winning that matters in the end but the fulfilling of one's purpose. No matter how late we start in life, what matters is what we did what we came here to do. 

For what point is there for all our sacrifices -- the waking up early or staying up late for work, to provide for our loved ones, to serve people, to create and endure even when no one recognizes our efforts -- what is its worth if not to fulfill the purpose for which we are called. And in fulfilling our calling in life, we are able to love others. Because love is above all else, it should be the reason why we run, why we live.

When we get to the point in the middle of the race when we wonder why we are doing these sacrifices in the first place, for what reasons are there, for what is it worth, hopefully we are doing it for heaven's reasons for putting us on this earth. To do what we love, and to share what we love, to bring back to our Giver the praise.

"Pain is temporary, but quitting is forever," Lance Armstrong says. It is the same of our faith and hope. When we stop believing that at the end of all our suffering is something good, a dream fulfilled, a mission accomplished, a soul healed, and when we give up too easily, we lose immediately. Don't waste your pain, endure until you fulfill your purpose, and you will find joy in reaching your goal. But enjoy the process as well, for life is an amazing journey.

Perhaps, it is not the medal nor the time, but the running of the race, the getting up every day to do what we were created to do that makes life meaningful.  That recognition or a pat in the back will be a reward and a bonus, but should not be the main reason why we run. We run because we love running. We run because we love even when it hurts at times. But we keep moving forward.

I remember reading in Kerygma magazine (May 2011) about this running team, Vinci and Kathy Carag, who shared about their love for running. Kathy remembers a time when she was running under the heat of a searing noonday sun and she came to a point when said to herself, "I don't want to run anymore!" 

Perhaps, we have experienced that too, when we are exasperated and say, "I don't want to do this anymore," being exhausted and wanting to give it all up. But fortunately for Kathy (and hopefully for us too), she forged on, endured the pain, realizing that there are things we need to do even if doing so makes us uncomfortable. Giving up should not be an option.

"In life, there will be times when God will make us do things we're not comfortable with," she said.  Uncomfortable would mean speaking up even when one is shy, going out of our comfort zone to where God is leading us, to face the fear and take the risk, to do the things we would rather not do but need to do for the sake of those we are called to serve and love. If we don't do it, neither we, nor the other person will grow and improve.  We need to help each other to move forward and sometimes what it takes to do that is painful but needs to be done.

Her husband Vinci shares that, "In as much as endurance is the key to completing a marathon, it is also needed in a more important race – our life as Christians."

"As I run, I've come to realize that the strength to finish the race, to win, does not come from me. There is Someone whose power protects me from getting injured, from suffering from cramps and falling."  

Whenever they finish a grueling marathon, the Carags recognize that they did so not on their own strength.   

Isaiah's words ring true for them. There is a promise we can hold on to when the going gets tough: 

"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."

Make the Lord your companion in your journey and you will never be lost. Sure there are times it will be uncomfortable, even painful, but keep moving forward with God on your side and you'll get to where you want to go.

May you run the race of life with confidence knowing that God is your strength. May you also share your strength with others, encouraging them in their own races in life.

Always run for love and don't give up!