A race and a life 'well done'
By Debbie Garren
Special to The Advertiser
I love running road races but I hate getting up at 4:45 a.m. on race day. The battle between this love and hate is fierce for a few minutes after I silence the alarm. But eventually love overcomes hate, and I crawl out of bed.
I recently finished a race 50 seconds over the time I had set for myself. Not only was I on an endorphin high driving home, but I also was proud of what I'd accomplished.
Debbie Garren is a ministry field staff member with the Navigators.
And in the euphoria, some words came to mind that had been spoken only the day before — words about offering my body as a sacrifice, which is a spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:2).
It gave me pause to ponder how, or even if, running fits into sacrifice and worship.
What immediately came to mind is that the one thing I learn through running is perseverance. On this course there had been more hills than I expected, and at several points along the way I continued only out of sheer determination.
Little things helped, too: focusing on something ahead while telling myself I only had to go that far, cheering bystanders, lifting my eyes to enjoy the scenery, feeling a kinship with those working as hard as I was to finish. All this served to distract, to encourage and to keep me going.
As I came around the last bend, the finish line came into view. It was still about a half-mile away, but I kept my eyes firmly fixed, and the sign letters became clearer with each step until, finally, I had finished the course.
And, oh, how I need the same perseverance in my character. Running shows me that perseverance is about having a goal in mind, about training and preparation, about the encouragement of others. And sometimes it is just about wanting to cross the finish line and get a reward.
So I think I will keep running, worshipping God with every step. Whether running a road race or running the course set before me, knowing him is my goal. He is worthy of my best efforts, and some day I hope to be rewarded with his words of "well done!" as I cross the finish line into that great cloud of witnesses.
Debbie Garren and her husband, Roy, are full-time ministry field staff members with the Navigators, an interdenominational Christian ministry. Their focus is the military community.
