"May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, Lord is in you."
Psalm 25:21
The Chicago Marathon was more than 26.2 miles. It was more than a personal triumph, a test of endurance or a chance to bod with friends. It became a journey into something far deeper-an exploration of my heart, my faith, ad wo I am as a child of God.
WHAT IS INTEGRITY? It is living in TRUTH, even when no one is watching. It is standing firm in honesty when the easier path might be deception or manipulation. It's choosing the harder right over the easier wrong.
WHAT IS IDOLATRY? It's when something-anything-becomes more important than God. When your identity is placed in achievement or success rather than in Christ. When the prize takes center stage, leaving the TRUE PURPOSE of who you are.
As a Christian athlete in a world obsessed with SELF-Self strength, Self goals, Self-glory, where is MY FAITH?
What does it mean to run with Honesty, Integrity, and Humility in a world that celebrates the opposite?
Chicago presented me with a platform to wrestle with these questions. After just finishing with what I believed was a time of 3:43. Thats what I stopped my Garmin at when iI stopped. However, the text I would get moments later would dispute that. The Chicago Marathon clocked me at 4:07.
Andy was next to me full of excitement but the joy of crossing that finish line vanished in an instant.
Andy witnessed my countenance change abruptly. He told me to let it go, to find joy in what I had achieved, but the human part of me couldn't shake the sting.
Over the hours that followed, I realized I had a choice. The TRUTH was, I had moved up into a faster corral that morning to avoid a hotel check-out issue, breaking the rules. I not only had to be out of the hotel by 1pm I also had a 4pm train to catch.
The temptation to manipulate my way out of the discrepancy was strong. BUT the Lord gave me peace. I could not bend the truth. I had to face the potential consequences, including possible disqualification.
After days of waiting for a response back from the email we sent, the race organizers emailed us back.
They investigated and found that the error was due to a chip malfunction, not any wrongdoing on my part. They adjusted my time to reflect what my watch had recorded. 
THE RUNDOWN
"The truest test of a person's character is what they do when no one is watching. " John Wooden
In those days of waiting, I realized the real test wasn't about my marathon time, but about MY HEART. If I had lied or twisted the outcome, running would have become an idol-something that stood between me and my integrity in Christ.
My integrity as a human.
My integrity as a runner.
By choosing to be honest, I placed my faith in God above the outcome, trust in that His will, not mine would prevail.
No matter what race we are running-whether it's in athletics, work, relationships, or personal growth-the challenges are the same.
We will all face moments where the temptation to cut corners, bend the truth or prioritize success over integrity feels overwhelming, but in those moments, we have a choice, to hold fast to what is right and honor the path God has called us to walk.
In Peace, not Pieces,
Anita
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