April 17, 2024
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“Help me Jesus, help me Jesus, help me Jesus!” I’d been praying those words silently for the last 15 minutes and now I was saying them out loud, over and over again, first softly, then louder, and louder.
I had been running for over 2 hours. I was tired, becoming disoriented, and giving up hope. I had just passed mile 17 with over 9 miles still to go. I was running the 1987 New York City Marathon.
Seven months earlier, four friends and I were having dinner. Rock had run a number of marathons and had been after me for some time to run one with him. Brian and John had also run several. Mike and I were the novices. After a lot of persuasion, the five of us made a commitment to run the New York City Marathon together. This is a 26.2-mile race that begins on the Staten Island side of the Verazano-Narrows Bridge, winds through Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Manhattan, and ends in Central Park.
Each of us had his own personal goal. Rock, Brian, and John, being experienced marathoners, wanted to beat their previous times and achieve new personal bests. My goal was to just finish the race.
Our group of five running buddies had the same group goal and commitment to finish the race. We would support and encourage one another. We would train together, go to New York together, and start the race together. And we would all be together to celebrate at the finish line in Central Park.
In order to finish, I would have to train. I ran track in high school and had continued running as part of my exercise regimen. But I was in nowhere near the shape I needed to be in order to run 26.2 miles.
Together, we would follow a proven training program. The three veterans would plan our training and we would all train together. Those three were our player-coaches. In order to run 26.2 miles, we had to get our legs in shape. The aerobic part would come fairly early in the training. But in order to get our legs in shape, we would have to put in the miles. That meant forty miles a week, usually in six-miles-a-day increments. Then every other weekend we would do a long run which would build up to twenty miles one month before the race.
During our training we relied on each other. When the alarm goes off at 4:00 a.m. and you have to get up to run 15 miles, it’s very easy to turn off the alarm, roll over, and go back to sleep. But when you have four other people waiting on you, you have to get up and show up.
A very important part of our strategy was to identify the benefits up front. We were going to go through a lot of training – and possibly some pain. So, we needed to make the experience as attractive as possible from the beginning. We had seven months to train. I figured that even if I got hurt and couldn’t make the race, the training would be good for my overall physical health. We would spend five days in New York City, stay at a nice hotel, see some plays, and dine at great restaurants. In addition, I thought I might learn some things about myself.
The race itself is one of the great memories of my life. Over 21,000 runners finished the race. If you asked each person why he or she did it, you probably would get 21,000 different answers. Men and women of all ages and backgrounds competed. Some were world class athletes; most were just regular folks. The youngest was 16 and the oldest was 88. Some were in top condition physically and some were physically handicapped.
An estimated crowd of over 1 million spectators cheered us on as we ran through the streets of New York City. Meeting other runners before, during and after the race was encouraging and a blessing.
And in the end, we accomplished our goal – we finished the race!
Training for, running and completing the New York City Marathon was a positive experience that influenced many areas of my life. I set a proper goal – just finish; instead of being noncommittal, I committed wholeheartedly; instead of attempting to go through 7 months of training by myself, I had a support group of loving friends and we did it together; instead of focusing on the pain of training and the possibility of injury, we identified the benefits of the entire commitment; and we assumed that there might be unanticipated benefits that could rise during the process. And I discovered some things about myself that I otherwise would never have known.
Living our lives can be seen as running a race. In fact, the apostle Paul uses “running the race” as a metaphor for life in his letters:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith …” Hebrews 12:1-2, ESV
Near the end of his life, Paul says, “… the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:6-7, NIV
In The Message, Eugene Peterson interprets Hebrews 12:1-2 this way: “Do you see what this means – all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running – and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed …”
REMEMBER & BELIEVE
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
In the meantime, help us Jesus!
QUESTIONS
What “race” are you running right now? What “races” are you planning in the future? What do you consider to be the most important “race” you will ever run? Have you set your goal? Do you have a proven plan? Do you have trusted leaders who will help you? Do you have a community who will support and encourage you and who you can support and encourage? Have you considered the known benefits before and contemplated the unknown benefits that might arise along the way? Do you have a Player-Coach Who has run the race before and Who will walk with you all the way home?
PRAYER
Dear Lord, Just as runners face challenges, doubts, and weariness, so too do we encounter obstacles along the paths of our lives. And so, in the midst of our struggles, we cry, “Help us Jesus!” and turn to you for strength and guidance. As we navigate the course set before us, may we lay aside every weight and sin that hinders us, running with endurance and fixing our eyes firmly on You.
Grant us, O Lord, the courage to persevere, the wisdom to discern Your Will, and the humility to seek guidance from those who have walked this journey before us. Surround us with a community of believers who will uplift and encourage us, spurring us onward toward the prize that awaits us at the finish line. Help us Jesus, to set our goals in alignment with Your Will, to follow Your plan for our lives, and to trust in Your provision every step of the way. As we run this race called life, may we never lose sight of where we are headed, keeping our eyes fixed on You, our Lord and our Savior.
Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil and the evil one. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
Amen
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (NRSV)
God bless you!
Richard
Christ Worshipper | Disciple Maker | Hope Giver
Welcome to In the Meantime. I'm glad you're here! We are living in the time between Christ's ascension into heaven and His promised return to earth. In the Meantime is a collection of stories about God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and His presence, love, mercy and grace in my life. In the Meantime, Jesus is Lord! Hallelujah!
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