By mile 16 of the Big Sur marathon I was really wishing I hadn’t eaten those chili cheese nachos the day before. With every step I could feel my bowels like an inflated balloon ready to explode inside of me, and in my anguish I thought of all the pain I had gone through up until that moment. Even before the race began I was limping from a silly game of bowling two days before, and my hamstrings were tightened to the point of breaking. This however was an important race to me, as the young adults from our church were praying and believing with us to finish the treacherous course through the mountains in less than four hours. Not only that, but my friend and I had trained for months climbing over mountains in the rain and fog – and I wasn’t about to let him down.
We resolved from the beginning that stopping was not an option in this race, and that we would cross the finish line even if an ambulance had to bring us there. The first two miles were encouraging as the highway descended gradually with cool breezes blowing through dense forests on either side – but then the climbing began. In a sense the climbing was a way to relax my battered hamstrings, but I soon realized that I was over hydrated from the night before. Oftentimes the urge to purge disappears after running several miles, but by the twelfth mile my bladder had turned into an inner wrecking ball that wrought damage with every step of my ascent. Realizing this was slowing me down I asked my friend to run ahead while I relieved myself at one of the rest stations along the way. Emerging from the green porta-potty with an angry sense of determination I caught up and decided that nothing would stop us now – until mile 16.
There was no quick solution to the gastro intestinal upset I was facing, and didn’t know how I could possibly endure another ten miles in that state. Every step shot agonizing pain throughout my body, and I felt my right ankle begin to bleed through chafing from a sock that had crept down. I wasn’t able to communicate everything that was going on to my friend, only asking him to pray for endurance and to run a race that was pleasing to God. Ultimately the final time we finished was not up to us, but up to God – and it was our duty to give Him our very best. The next eight miles were mostly silent as we both prayed and meditated on our Savior, and I realized what an absolutely beautiful place it was we were running. The highway ahead bended along lush green mountains with a deep blue sea crashing at its base, and craggy columns of rock extended from the ocean with birds flying overhead. Instead of focusing on all my pain, I began to focus on the beauty around me – and rest in the state of motion.
The next eight miles dissolved away with the pain still present, but my mind on other things. The last two miles were literally straight uphill, but with a burst of faith and confidence I knew we were going to finish! Ignoring all pain now we ran past bustling crowds towards the finish line, increasing our speed to an all out sprint. Friends and family waited for us on the other side, and as we crossed the line we looked up to realize that we finished in just under four hours! In spite of all the pain and setbacks we encountered during the race, God allowed us to achieve our goal with an amazing testimony to share with others. Barely able to walk, my heart resonated with thankfulness towards God, “…Thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” -1 Cor. 15:57
God’s Word compares life itself to a race, and Paul at the end of his life said, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” – 2 Timothy 4:7 There are so many things in our lives that can consume us – and some of those things are very demanding. The good fight of faith is constantly resolving in our hearts to focus on Jesus instead of those other things. Although it is never fun fighting through some of life’s most painful moments, those same moments have a way of increasing your faith when you live through them. The moments that were once agonizingly painful become a medallion of victory and a testimony of Christ’s faithfulness. On the other side of the finish line there is victory for you – if you will just hold on! As the Apostle James and countless others who have finished before us will testify, “Behold, we count them happy who endure.” –James 5:11
