RUNNING ON EMPTY?

I'm pooped.

Yup, tuckered out, dragging my feet – beat, whipped, spent.

(Sounds like I'm making a recipe or something…)

Reminds me of something from my childhood.

Back in the day – (Neolithic Age) – we had something called the Presidential Fitness Tests. Basically, for about 3 days, we had all these challenges. Like doing sit-ups and push-ups, running and jumping and throwing.

I remember I never did very well.

I was tiny.

Short and skinny. Not a pillar of strength at all. More like a noodle of weakness.

(However, I do remember impressing everyone with my softball throw of 105 feet in 5th grade!!)

But, all these events culminated in the last day's challenge – the 600-yard run.

Oh, how I dreaded it…

I was slow, very slow. Think turtle, or snail, or slug.

And inevitably, the 600-yard "crawl" – (in my case) – always made me feel sick. Nauseated, headachy, sweaty, short of breath, faint.

I walked most of it, bent over with a searing sideache.

It wasn't pretty.

Now, "The Hub" was different. That man was a regular decathlete. And he was FAST! Very, very fast. He was a sprint champion. He always ran "anchor" on relay teams. He almost always won – even when he was way behind.

He told me that he was really good at the 600-yard run. (Of course he was…show-off!)

Since we were in the same 4th, 5th, and 6th grade class together, I'm sure he was one of the (many) people that lapped me – and probably more than once.

I remembered that 600-yard run today, and thought about how tired it made me.

And I got to thinking about our spiritual race.

Yup, that faith walk varies a lot, doesn't it?

Sometimes we sprint, sometimes we crawl. Sometimes we win, coming from behind. And sometimes we're barely walking it.

There are times when we're just plain physically tuckered out, and our spiritual lives suffer. There are other times when we're spiritually weary, and our hearts suffer.

The Bible talks a lot about running the race of faith. And perseverance seems to be the key.

"…let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us…"

(Hebrews 12:1, AMPLIFIED)

I want to run a good race. Even when I'm tired. Even when I'm scared. Even when I'm discouraged.

I can't do it alone.

Only the power of the Holy Spirit can give me the strength to start the race, and the will to finish it.

Only the Holy Spirit can set the course, and keep me on track.

Only the Holy Spirit can…

I'll finish with a poem today:

RUN THE RACE

I've loved you, Lord

For all my life,

Through every toil

And every strife.

Through ups and downs

And in between,

Through tears of joy

And pain unseen.

You set the race

Before my feet,

You guide my course

Without defeat.

You give me purpose

You give me hope,

You help me run

When I cannot cope.

Some days I run

With an athlete's grace,

Some days I crawl

At a snail's pace.

But I run, oh Lord

Just as hard as I might,

Always striving

To do what is right.

Now I am closer

To the finish line,

The victor's crown

Will one day be mine.

And though my steps

Have slowed a bit,

This race I will run

I will not quit.

For You sacrificed all

On a darkened day,

You gave me light

You showed the way.

So guide me, Lord

'Til this race is done,

When the sweetest victory

Is finally won.

For the one thing I've carried

Every mile,

Was the thought of someday

Seeing Your smile.

And having you look me

Square in the face,

And say, "Faithful servant…

What a great race!"

© Sharon Kirby

April 26, 2008

Lace up, my friends.

Let's run our race well.

How are you running today?

Linked today with Joan at the GRACE CAFE

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"