Five Minute Friday: Race

I've never run in a race. This summer I went through a "Couch to 5K" training but never signed up for a race. I think that I am too scared to run in a race.

I really enjoyed the music that I listened to as I did the C25K training though. The song that I started singing as soon as I read the word "race" was a song called "Run" by After the Chase that I heard many times in my weeks of training. I love that song. It would often come up at a difficult part of my run and listening to it would give me the motivation that I needed to go on.

I want to run deep into Your presence
Until there’s nothing left of me
'Till my desires are all melted down
And You are all I want to be

I want to run fast into Your compassion
Where Your grace will set me free
And my heart will know Your mercy
And Your love will rule in me
Chorus
I want to run, run, run...run and not grow weary
I want to walk, walk, walk...walk and not grow faint
I want to soar on wings like eagles
You will renew my strength
I want to run...I want to run

I liked the song because it reminds me of my mom's favorite verse: Isaiah 40:31: "They that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength, they will mount up with wings as eagles. They will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint."

I gave up on running several weeks ago. Excuses abound - my back and my knee were really hurting, I wasn't able to fit everything in before school in the morning, it was too dark in the morning...

Often, in my spiritual life, I have given up on running my race as well. Excuses abound there as well - I'm too tired, I'm too busy, I'm not getting anything out of it...

I need to remember that I am in a race. I shouldn't be like the hare who takes breaks when he feels like it because he thinks "I've got this, I can catch up later." I need to be like the tortoise - steady, pressing on, even if I'm slow. It's an ultra marathon, not a 50 yard dash. Sometimes I grow weary and I am scared to run this race too. Then I think of this verse:

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Heb.12:1-3

and I am reminded: I am not alone in this race, many have gone before me, I need to cast off things that are weighing me down  and tripping me up so I can run effectively, my eyes need to be fixed on Jesus - my goal and example, and with His help I will not grow weary and lose heart.

I really should start running again (now I've got another excuse to add to the list - it's too cold!) but most importantly I need to keep persevering on the race that God has marked out for my with my eyes fixed on Jesus.

Oops. That was longer than 5 minutes. I forgot to hit my timer but I will still link up anyway. 

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