Several years ago, as I ran on the treadmill, my husband poked good humored fun at my running form. “You look ridiculous when you run!”
It was no surprise really, I had never, ever been athletic. I have a picture of myself playing softball in elementary school that is just painful to look at. I never played team sports unless forced to. I was just not good at them. I did, however, take weight training in high school. I was the first girl allowed to take it! I blazed a trail. In weight training we had to run…a lot. It was there that I first discovered how much I love running.
Fast forward many years (several of which involved no running at all), and I now run just because I love it, and despite the fact that I look ridiculous doing it. And FYI, My husband wasn’t trying to be mean, he was just stating a fact. He is athletic, and can’t relate to how I can be SO not-athletic.
Then, one morning, my family got up really early to go watch me run a 5K. It was my first one. I’m not to the marathon level yet, but still proud that I can run a 5K. I pushed myself, I wanted to do well. I’ve never been competitive, but I wanted to prove myself. I crossed the finish line first in my age group (40+), and second overall for women. The only woman who beat me was 23! So there!
As I crossed the finish line (after I puked) my husband approached me and said, “You may look funny when you do it, but you sure can run!”
Those words came to mind as I read this scripture:
Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Yes! Let us run with endurance the race set before us. It doesn’t matter how you look doing it! Just run it! Don’t give up, don’t let what people say stop you, just run! Choose to follow Christ and then do it.
People will scoff, they will point out your failures, both past and present. They will tell you God is not real, that following is pointless. Just run.
When you get to the finish line, as all of heaven cheers you on, remember these words, “you may look funny doing it, but you sure can run!”
