This is an encouragement for someone.
Years ago, when I ran my first ever 5k, I came to a place towards the end where I wanted to stop running completely. I had made a promise to myself at the beginning that no matter what, I wouldn’t walk ANY of it. Even if it was a slow trotting jog to the finish line, even if I finished absolutely last, I was going to indeed FINISH.
200 meters until the finish, and I was ready to quit. I justified it in my mind. “At least I signed up,” I thought. “At least I ran almost all of it.” “My legs hurt...” “It’s just too hard!” “I can’t breathe…maybe I need to stop for my own health.”
Excuses, excuses, excuses.
My amazing husband, who had already finished the race, came and found me just as I was about to walk the rest of it, and he pushed me to finish. He literally trotted the last 200 meters with me until I crossed the finish line, where my cousins were waiting for me like a great cloud of witnesses cheering me on. I will never forget that feeling of accomplishment and delight! It was painful, but I FINISHED, and I have zero regrets to this day.
Maybe some of you are currently feeling the pain and challenge of the last few hundred meters of your own race. Can I encourage you….KEEP GOING. I have wanted to give up quite a few times myself in the past few days, and yet I know that the PAIN OF REGRET and way worse than the pain of progress.
If He called you to finish well, He will give you the grace to do it well. Just lean in and stay OBEDIENT.
So let me be like my amazing husband and meet you those hundred meters before the finish line. YOU CAN DO THIS. Through Christ, we can do anything (Philippians 4:13). DON’T STOP YOUR RACE! Finish well, and the reward of completion will be a great delight to your soul.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.” – 2 Timothy 4:7
Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash
