Finishing Well

I started a new book this weekend and the first chapter was on finishing well. I found that quite ironic… why start with a message about finishing well? As I thought more about it, though, I realized that maybe it made more sense than I originally thought.

If we want to finish well, we have to start with the end in mind. We have to start with a goal, a purpose, a passion that drives us to complete the task, whatever obstacles we may face. We have to have something that helps us keep going when things get tough or when it doesn’t look like we are going to be successful.

Sometimes I want to do big things, great things for God. Sometimes I dream the dream, I talk the talk, only to find that I don’t know how to get started, how to keep going, how to finish and how to accomplish much of anything. All the mundane stuff of everyday life gets in the way, other priorities come up. Before I know it, I shove my God-sized dreams into a bottom drawer and out of the way. They were never meant to be anyway, I reason to myself. I’ll never know, though, because I never trusted God enough to step out, sort through the details, and direct my path.

I feel like that about my running right now. I have had a hard time getting started, getting focused on this half-marathon training. All the excitement and the God-sized dreams seem distant. The details are hard to work out. It’s challenging to get together with the group to run, the early nights and the cooler weather discourage me. The fun of the journey has given away to the very real challenge, and it seems overwhelming.

But then I remember about starting out on this journey. It started with the passion of a student and a God-given desire to run. She wanted to run this race and to raise money for Samaritan’s Purse. Her passion was contagious, and it was easy to get excited because she was excited. And then God starting working in it and other people got excited and before long, we were dreaming big dreams, not for ourselves, but maybe possibly what God could do through us. I remember thinking it sounded crazy, daunting, completely overwhelming, and I think that is what excited me about it. I knew it was something that was completely over my head and what I was capable of my own. I was drawn to the God-size challenge before me.

Somewhere along the way though, I lost that wonder of wanting to see what God could do. Like Peter, I took my eyes off Jesus and starting looking at the waves. And I started sinking, and all the dreams started sinking too.

I don’t think that book chapter was a coincidence today. When all is said and done, I want to finish well. I don’t know if I will be able to run this race, or if our group will be able to raise some tremendous sum of money. But I want to trust God to write the story, to work out the details. Regardless of how it turns out, I think God has something to teach me about trusting Him for the God-sized dreams and challenges in my life. I choose not to give up on Him and not to give up on those. It may or may not turn out the way I like, but I want to be faithful to run the race, to run a good race, and to do my part so He can be faithful to do His.

Philippians 3:14 – “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Benchmark 1 - Mission Accomplished!

Last Saturday, I ran the Ray Tanner 5K, the first of three benchmark races I have set for myself to help me prepare for the 13.1 miles in February. I was running in honor of my grandmother, who told me that she was running with me in spirit. I missed my personal record by 2 seconds. I was disappointed to fall short of my PR but relieved to run a good race. They gave all the runners medals at the end of the race, and it was very cool to be able to give mine to my grandmother. I wrote 2 Timothy 4:7 on the back, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." Very fitting and appropriate words for my grandmother, who has lived an incredible life committed to Christ, full of joy and love, investing in the lives of others and being a faithful prayer warrior standing in the gap for those in need.

Those are words that I very much want to be true in my life. Sometimes I can look back and see how God has led me along the course, and others I see detours I took along the way, or unexpected hilly terrain that throws me off track. I've been there lately, feeling exhausted and not really sure where the road ahead leads. I've been wondering how much further until a break or a water stop, or trying to catch a glimpse of the final destination. I wonder if I am on the right path, or if I should be somewhere else. I want to be on the right course. I so want to be faithful, living abundantly and faithfully for Him, taking each step in line with His will. I want to sense His pleasure and His blessing in my life. I want, I need to rest in His security and His peace that even when I can't see the course ahead, He is guiding me and preparing me for whatever lies ahead.

The verse that reverberate in my mind today is Isaiah 40:31 - "But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They will mount up on wings as eagles. They shall run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint."

It is in His strength that I continue running, both the race of daily life, sorting out His plans for my future, and in training for the half. I finished the first race, the 5K. Another challenge lies ahead, the Governor's Cup 8K, that is a much more hilly course. Last year, it got the best of me. I am hoping to do better this year and to be more prepared for the challenge. It is the next stop along the way to 13.1. Hopefully, I'll see you at the finish line. Thanks for sharing this journey with me!

Giving Back & Running Forward

It has been two months since my trip to Nicaragua. I was amazed and startled at how easily I just went back to my life. My routines didn’t change much, my perspective didn’t change much, honestly my life didn’t change much. Of course, it is not all about me, so then I started thinking about what changed there. We had so little to give, but we gave what we had – our time, our talents, toiletry packets, love, attention. We ministered to them, met some of their short-term needs, and planted lots of seeds with conversations about Christ and the church. We made a difference, even though sometimes it seems so small in comparison to the need.

Since I have been back, though, I have wanted to do more. I develop programs – that’s what I do. I problem-solve to address needs, to educate, to produce change & growth. I connect people with resources and people who can help. And while I don’t have the time to go on longer trips myself right now, or to do longer-term work there, I know that effective programs take time, take passion, take resources. I want to invest in the people who work in communities like the barrio we visited, people who are serving and ministering long-term in the area, cultivating relationships for Christ and making a substantial difference in individual lives and the communities they serve.

John Smoak, from Shandon Baptist, is one such man. His organization Unto Me International is working with local churches there to sponsor children in the area – buying uniforms for school, food for their families, and giving them the opportunity for a better life. If you have not done so already, please visit his website – http://untomeinternational.com or link to his Facebook page from this group’s main page. Many of the children in the pictures are children that I met during my trip. His program is making a huge difference in the area.

Samaritan’s Purse is another organization that works in impoverished communities and makes a huge difference changing lives for Christ. Many of us know about Operation Christmas Child and the shoeboxes they collect at Christmas time for children around the world. They also have a visible long-term presence in developing communities and do substantial work meeting the physical and spiritual needs of others.

A group of faculty, staff, and students at Columbia College are training for a half-marathon in February to raise money for Samaritan’s Purse. It is a huge undertaking and a little bit overwhelming. 13.1 miles is an intimidating distance. But, we want to be involved and to invest in organization that is doing work that makes a difference.

Our training is just getting started. I am hoping to send out regular updates to this group, as I did with the Nicaragua trip, so I can share this journey with you as well. The two experiences are inextricably related in my eyes, as God continues to give me His eyes and His compassion for those less fortunate than us. I have also started a blog – http://runningfast131.blogspot.com where you find previous posts and get additional information about our training and group.

Thank you for sharing life with me and allowing me to share my journey with you. Please do share your thoughts and reflections with me. I would love for us to have conversations along the way.

Have a great week!

In Christ,

Erin