Running the Race
In 2005 Dean Karnazes ran 350 miles in eighty hours—setting the world record for distance running without sleep. Ten years later, Rob Young, nicknamed the “Marathon Man,” broke the record by covering nearly 374 miles in eighty-eight hours. Young, who had endured abuse by his father as a child, said he ran with two goals in mind: to test the limits of human endurance and to help the world become a better place for kids.
Running the Race
By lap three of seven I was already exhausted. My trainer told me to give 80 percent of my best effort at first and build up to “200 percent on the final lap!” As I rounded the bend before that last lap, he shouted, “I need you to be throwing up at the finish line!” Unfortunately, I duly obliged. But I finished well and clocked a great time.
Shine Brightly
Shane (name changed to protect his identity) took a big job at a well-known company. Within a few months of overseeing its operations, he discovered some dark financial secrets. Doing his job, he delved into a morass of monetary fraud. As he exposed the impropriety, an unexpected thing happened. He was brought before the board of the company and threatened. Shane, a believer in Jesus, stood his ground. His integrity shone brightly even though he was released by the company’s board under false pretenses.
soldiers, athletes, and farmers
What do soldiers, athletes, and farmers have in common? Discipline. Soldiers go through drills day in and day out. They want to be battle ready. Athletes undergo strict training so they can compete in the race. Farmers work from the rising of the sun until it sets, patiently toiling in hope of a bountiful harvest.
radical recovery
Attempting a quadruple toe loop, Olympic skater Jeremy Abbott swiveled into the air and fell. He careened into the rink’s wall and lay clutching his side. Amazingly, Jeremy then stood up and resumed skating. The rest of his routine included two extremely difficult, yet well-executed maneuvers. In the end, his perseverance after a serious mistake won the crowd’s heart.
staying alert
Writer and media consultant Phil Cooke was on a business trip to Calgary, Canada. More than a thousand miles from home, he thought he was walking around in total anonymity until someone tapped him on the shoulder and asked, “Aren’t you Phil Cooke?” The man who made the inquiry had read Cooke’s books and followed him through social media. Phil wasn’t doing anything that could have damaged his reputation, but the interaction did remind him of the unfortunate stories of executives, pastors, politicians, and others who have crossed a moral line when they thought no one was watching.
the long wait
Forty years ago, as the violence in Vietnam rained down on his village, an explosion killed Ho Van Thanh’s wife and two of his children. In fear and desperation, Thanh scooped up his infant son, Ho Van Lang, and fled into the jungle. For 4 decades, father and son lived far from civilization, carving a rudimentary life out of the land. Recently, villagers exploring some 25 miles from their homes happened upon the two. Thanh, now 82, was very ill, and the villagers reached out to help him.
endure toward joy
When people become comatose, one of the many concerns is to keep their muscles from degenerating. Atrophy sets in quickly when there is no movement. On the other hand, most exercise trainers will tell you that muscle grows after it has been under stress. Strenuous exercise makes small tears in the muscle tissue. As it heals, the muscle grows stronger or larger than it was before the ordeal. Some pain is necessary for our bodies to retain vigor.
diluted faith
I usually think about salt in the context of what I consume, like when my doctor repeatedly “nudges” me to nix using so much of the stuff. But salt isn’t just something we sprinkle on french fries. In the ancient context, it also preserved food, was used in offerings, and was rubbed on newborn babies as an act of purification (Leviticus 2:13; Ezekiel 16:4). With that in mind, salt is a symbol of our unique character as believers in Jesus—that we are set apart, blessed, useful, and holy.
finish well
After my grandmother died, my husband and I were quizzed about death by our 5-year-old twins. All I could think of to say was that she’d finished her work and then passed away. It’s a simple idea, but Scripture reveals that we have a certain number of days to finish our work on earth (Psalm 39:4, Psalm 90:10,12).
endurance
Recently, I took a 17-hour road trip and my family and a foreign exchange student we were hosting were also along for the ride. To save time, we attempted to cut through a bordering country. We were turned away at the border, however, because our exchange student did not possess the right paperwork. Good security resulted in bad news for us. Disappointed, but undeterred, we took the long way to our destination.
shrinking faith
In Indonesia, scientists have located remains of an ancient people that may have—over the years—shrunk due to what they call “island dwarfism.” The researchers have used the name hobbit to identify the remains. Though hobbits are fictitious creatures, we’re naturally curious about what might cause humans to grow smaller.
disappointments
Ian Usher was so disappointed with his life that he decided to auction it on eBay. He wanted to rid himself of all the memories he shared with his ex-wife. The Australian said, “On the day [all my possessions] are sold, I intend to walk out of my front door with my wallet in one pocket and my passport in the other and nothing else at all.” His plans included a short visit to his mother before heading to the airport to figure out a new place to call home. “I’ll see where life takes me from there. It’s time to shed the old and in with the new.” A novel approach, but definitely not the way Paul told the Roman Christians to handle life’s disappointments.
victorious faith
Tukutana, the nonprofit organization I direct in East Africa, is funding the education of a young lady named Acayo Sarah. She survived one of Africa’s longest-running wars in history, but not without wounds. When Sarah was just 13 years old, the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) rebels attacked her village in northern Uganda. After killing her mother and father in front of her, the ruthless men abducted, raped, and impregnated Sarah. Just before her baby was born, Sarah managed to escape from her captors and fled to her uncle’s village.
the last lap
I've had an obsession with maple trees recently. Maybe because it’s Autumn here in Perth. It’s that special time of the year when the leaves turn bright red, and the wonderful thing about it is that the leaves shine brighter than the flowers (if there are any!).
Hebrews 12:1-3 are the verses that come to mind when I look at this…
