Everyone is Running a Race. 2012 let the Race begin.

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" Ecclesiastes 3:1 

It is New Years Day. It is a New Beginning. Today when we got up and went to church there was a sermon waiting to be spoken in my kinda language. RUNNING.

 Hebrews 12:1" Therefore seeing we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily ensnare us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us..."

Uncle Andy Coaching Sarah on.

These two verses were the nucleus of the today's sermon. Our Pastor then added a life quote to wrap it all together that went like this. 

"If you start Wrong it is not likely you are going to finish Right!"

With a New Year upon us we have a New Season, a fresh start, a New Beginning. How are you going to start your New Year out?? We are all at a starting line. We are all in a race whether we want to run it or not. But it is time that we start running our race. We have a new beginning to start fresh. To run this race for our families, for our health, for our integrity, for forgiveness and all the other areas we need to work at. 

Pastor Jim shared that adding 3 testimonies of men in the bible that had a new Beginning and started it out WRONG and all the struggles they had in return. Samson, David and Lot. 

Sarah and Ariel!

As he was preaching I listened intently. I was hooked. I could have listened longer if he continued. I always like to think how it relates to me. And this is what I came up with. 

Proud Parents

My version of Running The Race with Patience:

My niece Sarah is home from college. She has for weeks been wanting to run a race when she came home. The problem is that races this time of year are slim pickings. 

The one we found was a bit of a problem. It was a 5k WALK and a 8K RUN! The New Years Resolution Run on New Years Eve.

That meant that if Sarah wanted to run this race she was going to  have to go farther that she had ever gone before. 

Sarah fearfully decided to give it a go. So Andy registered her and him and I decided I was going to Bandit run it. I had a hard time spending the money on a race I was not actually going to be racing, this would help keep cost down as well but I was coming from work and didn't think I was going to even make it to the race on time.

Poor Sarah. She was nervous. She had never ran this far in her life. All her family was surrounding her and even Ariel, my other niece came out to cheer her on.  I was so proud of Ariel for coming out to support her cousin.

Without realizing it people started to move at the starting gate. We were off! Andy had came up with a plan prior to the race for us to follow. We were going to run 5 and 1's. Run 5 minutes, walk 1 minute. Sarah would get to really love those walking breaks. The way Andy had it, we would be running about 10 and a half minute miles so we would have 10 walking breaks and should be crossing the finish line in under 1 hour.

 Hebrews 12:1" Therefore seeing we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily ensnare us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us..."

I took everything Sarah had in her pocket. I took her chap stick, ear buds, iPod and told her if she got to hot I would carry her sweatshirt. Sarah did not need any weight. She needed to be focused. 

I needed to be Patient. The Race we run is often bigger than we are. I was running this race for someone else. When I wanted to run ahead or sprint across the finish line I had to remind myself it isn't about ME. To be patient and supportive. To help someone else run their race.

That first mile Sarah was already settling more towards  "just finishing". Just finishing isn't running a RACE. Anyone can "Just Finish".  It is Doing your Very Best that makes you truly victorious. It is persevering when you want to quit that makes you "more than a Conqueror." It is finding strength that you never knew you had that draws you closer to God because you know it came from HIM. 

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.1st Corinthians 9:24

We never left her side. She pulled out excuse after excuse wanting to stop and walk or drop her pace but Andy had a comeback for everyone of her excuses. When the beep went off to walk for the minute she embraced it. She caught her breath regained her confidence and listened to us cheer her on. And we were off again. I would run ahead and get her water. "Come One Sarah, you can do it." We took turns encouraging her. 

As we ran we noticed we had been running with the same group of people for the last couple miles. Next we knew THEY too started cheering Sarah on!! Joining in we heard others runners shouting "Great job Sarah." 

Her pain was beginning to overtake her, this time she was no longer trusting in Andy and I. When we told her there was only .33 of a mile to go she didn't believe us. She didn't see the finish, she had to not only be Patient a little longer but also Trust. Andy told me to run ahead and find the finish to motivate her. So I did. There it was.."Sarah, I see it, You are Almost THERE!" I yelled. 

There was her Mom, dad, my boys and Ariel at  the the Finish all waiting for her. There was even a woman who was running near us that decide since she had come this far running with us she was going to go all the way in with us as well. Sarah dug in, head high, eyes focused and crossed that finish line!!

Great job!!

We all have a race to run. Sometimes we help others run theirs. Sometimes we want to Quit. But sometimes through our race we can encourage others ( A cloud of witnesses) to run not just to Finish but to Finish Victoriously. To finish beyond your wildest dreams.

Sarah did not just run the farthest she had ever ran, she ran harder than she knew she could. I am so proud of my niece. 

Sarah's Race encouraged both her Parents to Commit to a C2-5k this Spring!!!

Remember we are all running a race. But today is a New Year. A New Start. Have a plan. Stick to it. No matter how hard it is the prize at the end is worth it. What Race are you running? Run for your family, Run for your testimony, run for integrity, forgiveness, acceptance, maybe you are struggling with addictions, or your heath, run your Race. See yourself Victorious, work Hard, Pray without ceasing and Never Never Never Give up!

Rundown:

Saturday: 5 miles. 57:22

Sunday: Distance:4.01 Times:34:26 Pace:8:36

Anita