the finish line

as i drove down congress this morning, my eyes were watery as i watched 10,000 people run the austin marathon...i just happened to look up at the precise moment that a fellow mate of the seminary ran by...i was able to open the jeep door and yell "ken, you rock!! fantastic job, fantastic job!!"...my eyes were flooded and my heart truly raced because i was in awe that out of 10,000 people, i had the chance to encourage the ONE i knew!...it got me thinkin', who is cheering for us as we run the race of life?

for the next six hours my friends and i watched and cheered the runners...you cannot truly know the inspiritation i speak of until you actually stand on the sidelines and see their faces smile as we clapped and shouted short-syllabic words such as, 'yeah!' or 'right on!'...BECAUSE OF WITNESSING THEIR FAITHFULNESS AND ENDURANCE, IT MADE ME WANT TO RUN AS WELL...in the race of life, could the same be true? as i presently run, is it possible that those around me, aware of my 'discipline', are moved to run the race as well? it is an interesting thought...i don't run because of wanting others to run as well...i run because i am called...but it moves me to think that by my running, someone might take up training too! the dead, white german theologians are cringing right now, but in the beauty of the race, is inspiration contagious?

my eyes beheld all peoples today...short, tall, big, small, old, young...how is it that just by watching them enjoy their 'discipline', i was moved to join them? i have been literally running since the first of january again...since i quit the big cancer stick i have moved on to things that i used to do all the time...i hurt my ankle about a month ago and i can't help but think of how that translates in life...it is called a 'stress fracture'...truly, in the race of life i am sure that we have suffered many of those...but we're still running, right? or are we dusting off our shoes and stretching out to get started again? maybe we've never recovered from the fracture...

inspiration seek us out...heal our wounds...bind up our fractures and help us to stretch out...allow us to catch a glimpse of the finish line...