In this thing we call the Christian life, there have always been some Christ-followers who have stood out from all the rest. They are the resilient ones. The harder the challenge, the stronger they become. Becky was one of them. My passion to become a resilient man came from her. Becky's death impressed on me the importance of not living in the past. She was the one who was always pointing out that it was in the final lap of life that champions show what they're made of. Now that I am well into the final stages of the race, I too want to run strong to the tape.
For the past three years I've become both a slower runner and a weaker climber. Shocker, I know. Raise your hand if you can relate. That's what happens as you age. As the years pile on, the body begins to break down. We lose strength and flexibility. Our ability to take in oxygen decreases. We tire more easily. The thing is, once you accept that fact, you can still have big goals and strive for them. Here's a video of the climb I want to make next summer in Zermatt.
The Riffelhorn ain't no Breithorn, but it will do. I'm no longer up for 4,000 meter peaks, but a 3,000 meter summit still seems possible.
So, what can we do? Prepare. Train our minds and bodies to believe. Keep working out.
And, most importantly, never stop dreaming. Chasing down the Riffelhorn gives new purpose to my workouts.
And guess what? I think might actually have enough upper body strength to pull it off.
So, my lessons for the day:
1. Stop trying to control something you have no control over (like aging).
2. Be kind but hard on yourself. After all, who wants to coast through their later years accomplishing nothing?
3. Be willing to let go of your expectations of how things "should" be.
4. Realize that everyone has struggles, no matter what their Facebook entries look like.
Enough of all that. What am I going to do for the rest of my life? The only thing I know is that it involves running and climbing, no matter the pace of the race or the height of the mountain. All of what I love and value is right here in front of me right now.