Run the Race

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27



Perhaps my story sounds familiar to you: Christmas comes and Christmas goes, the New Year approaches and I am filled with an overwhelming desire to make a list of ‘things I am not currently doing but think I should be doing.’ In desperation, as midnight draws ever nearer on New Year’s Eve, I am compelled to sign up to actually do one of those ‘things I should be doing’ and as I wake, bleary-eyed on the first day of a New Year, I realise that today is the first day of doing the ‘thing I should be doing.’ Day one is fine…by day six my enthusiasm level has dipped considerably…and by day eighteen (that’ll be today!) I have redefined my list from ‘things I should be doing’ to ‘that thing I said I’d do but then realised that normal life is not like the Christmas holidays when all you have to do is eat cheese and lose track of what day it is and instead I don’t really have the time to do that thing…’



Except, dear readers, this year a miracle has occurred! Here we are, on day eighteen, and I am still doing ‘the thing I should be doing’! I have some theories for my success this year but first let me explain ‘the thing I am still doing.’



It is called ‘Race At Your Pace’ and is a way of getting active and fit for people like me with practically no experience and a complete inability to run without turning my ankle over. You choose your method (walking is mine but running and swimming are options too) and you set your distance (I’ve ended up at 65 miles) then you have the whole of the month to complete the miles you said you’d do. Then you submit your evidence and a medal arrives in the post!



Here’s why I think it’s going well so far:

• I am motivated (I've always wanted a medal!)
• I can have an off day or two without it wrecking the whole thing
• The website allows you to change your distance partway through and that works in both directions – if you get ill or injured you can reduce your distance to still celebrate your achievement so far without then being stymied by something that is outside of your control. Or, like me, you can start with a timid amount (15 miles!) and, as your confidence grows, you can increase it to keep pushing on (65 miles, tempted to see if I could push for 75 but will wait another day or two and see how I’m doing now it’s got icy)

 Whilst this area of my life has been going brilliantly, other areas have proven more challenging so far this year and this has led me to reflect on the bible verse at the start of my blog. Since coming back to college in Bristol I have struggled with really bad homesickness. It is getting better and I’m feeling more settled now than at any other point this year so far but the battle has been real and painful. Through it all I have been struck at just how gentle God has been with me. Fairly early on I was challenged to stop praying that my tears would go away and, instead, to pray that God would work through my tears. There have been no shortcuts but there has also been no impatience – I feel I have God’s full permission to take each day as it comes and to try trusting Him at each separate stage. When I’ve needed to call home it hasn’t been marked as a failure, and getting through each day with all that it holds is counted as a success.



I know what Paul is saying in his letter to the Corinthians and I agree, we need determination and to keep our eyes on the prize. But I’m wondering if this Christian race is more like my Race At Your Pace, as opposed to some kind of Olympic sport. Because, at the end of the day, it isn’t where you come in the rankings…it’s just about crossing the finishing line. This, to me, is a thought of great comfort. It means a successful day isn’t just one where I push as hard as I can but one where I hang on by the skin of my teeth. A day full of tears is just as valued by God as a day full of smiles. A tough week where I count the cost of following what God has called me to is treasured by my Father just as much as a week where I end it singing for joy because of the gift of following what God has ordained for me.



So if you’re struggling in the race, hanging on to faith, hope, or calling, by a thin thread, you’re still winning…Keep going!