A great time at the gym today. As you know, I am training for another 50K race in December.
Notice I didn't say "finishing." I said, "Training." When the race starts, you have to run and walk in the moment.
Racing is always a giant unknown. But getting to the starting line is not. It's something you can count on. You will have to allow your body to adjust to the new stresses, the new strengths, and the new weaknesses, and you will have to do all of this while focusing on the real goal: starting the race.
Now you know why I think running is such a wonderful metaphor for the Christian life. No one can run a single step for you. Long-distance athletes are made, not born. Goals can never be too high, but expectations can. I've learned that long-distance running is more about tenacity than talent. Nearly everyone who tackles the time to carefully prepare can go the distance. In fact, the more the miles will forgive you for not having a talent, the more they will reward too for tenacity and preparation.
I finished my first half marathon not a minute too soon. I could not have run another step. That was 45 half marathons ago. As I watched the other runners finish their own half marathon, I kept thinking that there was no way I could go another 13.1 miles and run an entire marathon. It felt impossible at the time, way out of my mental reach. That was 20 full marathons ago.
May I say that patience is your most important training tool? Tenacity is as essential as talent. The same is true for those of you who are studying New Testament Greek. There are no easy marathon courses. And there are no easy "Let's learn how to read New Testament Greek" courses. You just start at the beginning and enjoy the journey.
Can you be a long-distance runner? Of course you can. Can you learn to read New Testament Greek? Of course you can. I believe that with patience and determination, you can change your life. Do this in the power of the Spirit and you will find the results to be absolutely amazing.
There is nothing like the feeling of lining up at the starting line of a marathon along with a 40,000 other runners with nothing else to do that day than expect to make your way to the finish line!
Below: At the start of the Chicago Marathon, October 13, 2019.
