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

Team Samaritan's Purse

This 131 day journey actually began a couple of weeks ago. Carolyn, one of my students, emailed me and asked if I would run a marathon with her. At first, I thought she was crazy. But, as I listened to her talk, her passion was compelling. She told me that she wanted to run for Samaritan's Purse, and she wanted to raise money. She had looked at the webpage, and it suggested a goal of $1000 per person. She prayed about it and told me about how she wanted to use the desires of her heart for God. She has been a runner for several years and wanted to give that interest of hers back to Christ to use for His glory and to make a difference.

As I contemplated the decision to run with her, I couldn't escape the challenging call of her words or my desire to partner with her and be a part of this God-given passion in her life. It was not long before I had agreed to run a half-marathon, 13.1 miles. And we both talked about it and prayed about it, the passion became contagious. Others in my office signed on to run with us; other staff and faculty, more students. Over 20 people came forward saying they wanted to be a part of this race and this cause. Carolyn told me at one point that $1000 seemed like such a small goal. Now, instead of two of us running and raising $2000, we have a whole team of runners, for the half-marathon and the 5K, and instead of $2000 as our goal, we are raising $35000 to build a mission hospital.

The way the pieces have come together has been amazing! The excitement on campus, the different levels of expertise, people volunteering to help with coolers, or with T-shirts, setting up volunteer opportunities and events to support us along the way.

This is an incredible journey, about 20 weeks of training, and about 8 more miles than I am used to running. It will require a vast amount of time and energy, and at times, I am sure that it will feel overwhelming. As many of you know, though, I went to Nicaragua this summer and witnessed some of the world's deepest poverty and physical need. I came home and went relatively back to my former routine, not untouched, but perhaps unmoved to do anything more. What do I do to reach out with compassion? How do I show Christ's love to those who are hurting and in need? Part of running this race is putting that need at the forefront again and supporting Samaritan's Purse, an organization that helps communities and barrios around the world. This is part of what I have to give, my time, my effort, my desire to run - I want to be like Carolyn and lay it all on the altar for His use.

What do you have to give? What will you do to partner with us and make a difference? There is a link to our fundraising website on the right of this blog page. There is a video to learn more about Samaritan's Purse. Pray about giving, running, cheering us on, pray about being involved as Christ leads. Thanks for sharing this journey with us!

131 Days to 13.1

September 25th, I start a new journey, one that will take me 131 days to complete. I begin intensive training for my first half-marathon, 13.1 miles. I will be running the Myrtle Beach Half-Marathon on February 19, 2011. It is an intimidating goal. My longest race so far has been a measly 5 miles. 13.1 seems overwhelming and intimidating, daunting.

Why run? As I sacrifice my opportunity to sleep late on Saturdays and commit to workouts three times a week, I sometimes wonder myself.  I enjoy it. It is a stress reliever. It is good conversation time with other runners. But what drives me to sacrifice my time and my energy? What greater need does it fulfill in my life?

For me, the answer comes from the discipline of training. What I learn about myself from running is the importance of submitting to a knowledgeable coach, the necessity of constant practice, the commitment to overcome hardship & injury, and the challenge to succeed each time with my personal best. There is not much that can compare with the thrill of crossing the finish line and seeing my efforts pay off in doing something I wasn't sure that I could do.

I ran my first 5K last year. And as I look back on that experience now, I see how much I was able to accomplish in such little time. I went from not running at all to running 4.5 miles consistently in 12 weeks. I remember thinking what if I could apply this training, this purpose, this discipline to other areas of my life.

For me, that's what drives me to run, being able to see the metaphor of running play out in my everyday life. Everything that I learn from the training helps me develop that mindset of discipline, commitment, and excellence. I think of 1 Timothy 4:7-8 in the Bible which says, "Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness had value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come" (NIV).

Through this blog, I hope to share my journey with you, the physical training and the spiritual discipline. I'll share reflections along the way and invite you to join in the conversation. Hopefully it will inspire you to run your race well, whatever race that may be.

I look forward to seeing you at the finish line. Let the training begin!