Finishing Well
By Joyce Wachsmuth--
This past week our grandson Caleb, who is nineteen years old, participated in the Half Iron Man Race in Salem, Oregon. The race is a long distance triathlon of 70.3 miles, which includes 1.2 miles of swimming, 56 miles of biking, and 13.1 miles of running. It was such a privilege to cheer him along the way and to be there when he finished the race. Since our son, Ted, has done two of these races; one in Hawaii and the other in Idaho, it was such a joy to see them embrace each other as Caleb finished the race. There were two thousand runners from all over the United States and the world and, as spectators, it was exciting to cheer all the runners, especially at the finish line. This was the first time that the Half Iron Man Race was in Oregon.
As we were cheering Caleb at the finish line, I couldn’t help but think of the scripture in Hebrews 12:1-2, “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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of faith.” We were witnesses of Caleb being in the race and finishing the race. To hear his name being called at the finish line and to witness his overwhelming feeling of completion, I was full of joy for him. In preparation for the race, he had to train daily for the swim, the bike ride and the run. Before the race, he had to get a good night’s rest and eat the right kinds of food. As I looked at all the runners, their outfits were well-fitted to their bodies without any extra weight because that would hinder their race. The runners knew where the finish line was, and their focus was on finishing.
As a runner, Caleb kept the goal of finishing the race even when it became difficult. He persevered! I can relate to Caleb because 15 years ago Doug and I did the Portland Marathon. Doug and I began the training 7 months before the race but on the day of the race, 18 miles into the race, I developed a huge blister on my foot and almost didn’t finish the race. It took perseverance, the Lord providing a paramedic who bandaged my blister, and another runner who gave me a Tylenol for me to be able to complete the walk! It was a slow walk, but I finished with Doug, my husband, by my side and with our son, Ted and daughter-in-law, Stephanie, encouraging me to finish the race. Besides preparing for a race, it was with the help of others that I was able to complete the race. In the race of life, we need others. We cannot do it alone. We need the help of others. When I finished the race, there were family and friends who cheered us to the finish line.
In the same way, as followers of Christ our goal is to finish well in our marathon of life by throwing off “everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” What are the areas that hinder our walk with Jesus? Are there sins that can easily derail us in our walk? Personally, I need to daily assess my relationship with Jesus through my time with him as I pray, read, and meditate on the Word of God. Many times it is going to Jesus and confessing my sins. Life has its challenges, and I need to remind myself to persevere and rely on Jesus and my community of believers. Others can cheer us on to the finish line!
The apostle Paul encourages us to finish well. He saw life as a race and he encouraged the Ephesian elders, “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me…the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace” Acts 20:24.
You may not ever experience a marathon or a Half Ironman race, but if we fix our eyes on Jesus, we will complete the race of our life with the help of Jesus who is the author and perfecter of our faith. As we cross the finish line of life, Jesus will say, “Well done thou good and faithful servant!”
PS: Remember to sign up for the August Home Gatherings. For those who are camping, have a wonderful time!