Marathon Lessons . . . Be Encouraged!

You Never Know How Your Encouragement Helps Someone Take One More Step!

One of the really cool things about the marathon was the thousands of people on the sides cheering us the entire time - amazing! I don't think we ever went 100 yards without spectators yelling for us. (This pic not of me, just to see the crowds.)

People were yelling, 'Way to go!' 'You're doing awesome!' Near the end folks were yelling stuff like: 'Only 2 more miles, don't give up! Finish strong!'

Our names were on our bibs and some people would even yell our names. At one point some lady yells: 'Way to go John! I'm so proud of you, keep going hard!'

And then to pass my family on the side cheering and yelling for me was incredible. (Here I am passing my family and getting 'fives.')

And then some people just made you smile. One dad and three small kids each had a sign and as they stood together they said: 'Way To Go Mom!'

But the best was a lady who I saw up ahead of us at about the 11 mile mark whose sign said: 'You're Crazy!' My cousin and I were chuckling (I couldn't actually laugh at 11 miles!) And then as we got closer, it was Cindy's sister!! I was laughing then and her sign was so great that this picture was in Austin American Statesman on Monday morning!

I can't tell you how encouraging all those people were. I wonder how many people are able to run one more step because of that encouragement . . . go one more mile because they heard from people who believed in them.

It just reminded me of people all around me who need to be encouraged. Who need to be cheered on and told that they can do it! To be strong and courageous! That I am proud of them! I confess that I'm not very good at this. But I'm asking God to help me.

We are in a race. A marathon. It's hard. It's long. It's painful. But if we encourage each other we can go one more step. One more mile. One more day. And maybe even smile :)

Marathon Lessons . . . ONE ok, TWO better

Two ARE Better than One

The writer of Ecclesiastes talks about all these ways that two are better than one - to keep warm, to protect each other, to keep each other from falling . . .

I can tell you another one . . . to run a half-marathon. I was so blessed that my cousin decided to run with me instead of running the marathon. (This is a pic that Cindy snapped just before the finish line and that's him just inside me in the white).

I had done all my training by myself, but I don't know if I would have made it without him running alongside me - encouraging me and challenging me - but mostly just being beside me.

I have a pretty small family - 3 cousins total! And with the exception of one short season, we've never lived near each other or known each other well. So how cool it was that we got to spend over 3 hours together hanging out - just me and him. We hadn't done that in 20 years.

Life is a marathon. And how foolish when we try to it alone.

By ourselves, we will NOT reach our potential. It's just too big . . . and God designed us to need each other. . . He designed life to be done together.

AND not only that, but alone we will miss out on some huge blessings of great friendships.

What are you doing alone that you need to be doing with someone else?

Marathon Lessons . . . Training

I'm still amazed that the race has come and gone. (The pic to the right is just before the start . . . and NO I'm not in the front)

The process and the race itself was an incredible experience that left me with many great lessons. I want to share some of these in a few posts. Here's the first:

There's no Substitute for Training -
Peter said: "Prepare your minds for action . . ." (1 Peter 1:13)

When I first began my training the 3 & 4 mile runs were a grind. (A stinking grind!) Then as the distance was gradually lengthened and my body was pushed into shape, they became less of a grind.

Now, I can run 4-5 miles and it's not a big deal for my body or mentally. I can stay focused on other things - my sermon, a challenge I'm struggling with, my family.

BUT, once I hit 8 or 9 miles different pains start to surface - my knees, my hips, my breathing.
And without that training - that training of my mind as I train my body - I begin to focus on those problems. And then as I start focusing on my problems, I want to quit. I start thinking, 'This is stupid. This isn't worth it.' 'Why am I doing this?' And it becomes easy to give up.

But as I trained and pushed through the pain, I learned that I had to focus on what was ahead, on the race and not the pain.

So, true in our spiritual lives. If we don't train daily in God's Word. If we don't train daily by seeking to abide in Jesus. Then when the pain comes - and it will - we will be easily seduced into quitting.

Too many people treat God like a magic genie and just call on Him when the pain comes - like not training and just jumping in the marathon.
And then their disappointed when the pain doesn't go away.
God doesn't always take the pain away.

But when we abide (train) in Him, He teaches us that He is always with us. He teaches us how to focus on Him. He teaches us how to run through it. He prepares our mind for action.

[This is a pic Cindy snapped as I ran by at about 6 miles . . . notice that I'm going so fast that I'm kind of a blur! I'm pretty sure that the airspeed that I was generating even blinded that guy behind me!]