31^st October

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

HEBREWS 12:1

In 2008, at the Big 10 Indoor Track, Heather Dorniden¹ ran a remarkable 600 meter race. From being in 2^nd place, she took an unfortunate tumble and dropped into last place creating a sizeable gap between her and the rest of the runners. Yet, the stumble didn’t defeat her. She quickly got back up, turned on the accelerators and not only caught up with the rest of the runners but won the race! Her bravery and endurance stand as a reminder to us, that when life knocks us down, we too can get back up and not only survive but thrive.

The writer of Hebrews also encourages us to take note of those gone ahead of us in life’s race. Heroes of faith like Noah, Abraham, and Moses. They all kept going through life’s hardships, trials and persecutions. Plenty of times they could have given up, but they ‘kept their eyes on the One who is invisible’², that is God. They ran with endurance the race that God had set before them. We too are called to run our race. When we get knocked down, get back up. When we stumble, shake it off and keep on running. Take inspiration from those who have gone ahead of you and gain strength from the support of Jesus’ Christ. Shake off the obstacles, and things that weigh us down and keep on running. Keep on keeping on!