"Running with the Horses"

"If you have raced  with mere men on foot and they have worn you out, how then can you race against horses?  If you stumble in safe country how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?"  Jeremiah 12: 5

     My first road race ever happened at the age of thirty and it also happened to be an international one.  I was blessed to spend my final hours of 2010, (a year i was more than eager to see pass), running 10 kilometers or 6.33 miles with over 7000 people in in the traditional Guatemala "San Sylvestre" road race.

The entire house along with friends of  "Hogar de la Roca" came to cheer me on.  I decided to run in an Hogar de la Roca  T shirt which I know all the guys appreciated. In the time we had to wait for the starting whistle I was able to share with the guys in our ministry the contrast between the person they see in me today, and the person who started the same program as them in Connecticut about 18 months ago.

I explained, often times with Chris helping me interpret, that i had no  expectations of "winning" the race because in fact in my heart, I had won already.  I shared with them that when i began the same journey they are now on, I was completely sick from drugs, a terrified skeleton who couldn't do 5 push ups, and shell of a man who was running from himself and the police.  And on that day, I was running in an international road race to glorify, thank, and honor God, as well encourage anyone who may be watching and wondering if there is truly hope for people who may have allowed themselves in the past to sink so low.

Please note this photo as it is mentioned in the conclusion.

In reality, the "San Sylvestre" is more of a celebration than a serious road race only for serious runners.  It is a way for 7000 Guatemalans (some in costumes) with many more spectators than that, to go into the new year doing something healthy, positive, and fun.  Often, the pace we set for ourselves in any endeavor early on is the pace we keep. So its always important to tackle any difficult undertaking with a strong and optimistic start.  That being said, in the end, the only thing that people remember and what  truly defines you as an individual is how strong you finish.  I am well aware of this fact so I weigh my own words very carefully when I try to encourage others with my own experiences. I realize, sometimes even with a touch of healthy fear, how long the race may still yet be marked out ahead of me and that I may really only be heading out of the starting gate myself.

     At the risk of sounding cliche`, one reason I really enjoy running is because it is one of the greatest metaphors for life that we have.  This particular race happened on an unusually hot day, there were a couple killer hills, and by my pedometer the race actually clocked out at about 7.3 miles instead of the advertised 6.3.  You can prepare as much as possible, but when things like heat and cramps start attacking your body after what you think is your "final mile sprint" and yet you realize you are still no where near the finish line, your mind starts talking to you about giving up and walking for a while.  But I had told myself and the guys at the beginning that no matter what i would be running the whole time.  I was able to encourage myself and understood that while my body may hurt now it is only for a moment.  I knew that if I just finished the race strong I would feel better in every other moment outside of that temporary one where I really wanted to just give up, even if just for a moment.  Running truly is a great metaphor for life!

In the end, I was able to finish this particular race strong. While there were some athletes who clocked in almost 15 amazing minutes before me, I came in with the first group of runners out of the 7000 and finished the seven or so miles in about 45 minutes.  I had passed the guys from Hogar de la Roca on the way into the Colosseum and they cheered me on.  I then was able to lay down in a little bit of shade and stretch and thank God for all he has done for me in my life, as well as ask him to please keep me " ...running with purpose with every step...disciplining my body like an athlete, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."   1Corinthians 9: 26- 27.

           I think the biggest reason that running so readily associates with life is because simply put, they are both difficult to do well and consistently all the way through till the end.  Yet, that is the life and race that each one of us are called too.  In the book of Jeremiah you hear him crying out to God over the very significant problems and surroundings that eventually drove him past the brinks of depression to cursing the day he was ever born, and this is towards the beginning of his book!  The story of the life of Jeremiah is far to epic to address in any detail on this forum, but let us suffice to say he had valid reasons to be upset with life. Is this true about you?  Are your daily tasks and surroundings slowly starting to overtake you?  Is there a "new year resolution" you have made which is already fading into more of a memory than a resolute promise you committed yourself too?  Is there a project in your house that needs completing or a talent or art you have been neglecting?  Does the reminder of those things bring an uncomfortable feeling of failure or anxiety every time they cross your mind?  Well, we may have legitimate causes and lay legitimate blame upon reasons for not completing what we know we should do, but that does not get them done.  Only doing them does.  God's answer to the legitimate grievances of Jeremiah is the same He gives to ours.
     "If you have raced  with mere men on foot and they have worn you out, how then can you race against horses?  If you stumble in safe country how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?"  Jeremiah 12: 5   
     God's response to Jeremiah's call for relief here is basically, "If you think this is bad, how are you going to cope when it gets really tough?"  God's answer to prayer is not always nice or easy to handle.  Anyone who has experienced war, bereavement, or a serious illness can attest to this.  So if ordinary life is overwhelming us how will we cope when we are called to do the extraordinary things we were each created to do?
     Much of it is an adjustment of our perspective.  For instance, the man pictured above racing in his wheelchair has the same condition as the many others who are confined to life in a chair yet chose not to race.  Both are wholly justified in grieving their situation and to not even subject themselves to attending a race where they will be constantly reminded of their condition.  Yet, it is the one whose perspective leads him to the realization that he is indeed race worthy, puts on a fun costume, and hits the road with all he has, he is beginning to compete not just with mere men, but to run with the horses.  Both men have the exact same condition, yet one's perspective leads to the inspiration of many.
     Also, we have to realize that it is not always about us.  Someone is always looking at us to see if we will succeed or fail in even our smallest task.  Whether we are in the role of parents, children, siblings, friends, and in really any  position we may find ourselves, we hold a constant opportunity to lead by example.  It is up to us to break through the mold of being run down by a mundane halfhearted race.  Be one instead that breaks away and runs with the horses with only an occasional and brief backwards glance and an extended hand as an invitation to all watching who may wish to enter the real race with you.

May we all one day say, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.  And now the prize awaits me..."  2 Timothy 4: 7