Finish the Race

 

Daily Gratitude Year 10- Day 206: Today, I am grateful for the moments we finish the race. 

I am not a runner. I run to Wal-Mart and the grocery store in my car. I admire those who have the stamina to run for many miles. The St. Jude Runs are happening soon. Some will run many miles between Memphis and Peoria. Others will run long races locally. 

The event amazes me. The people, the stories, the lives saved and the hope that is generated in the battle against pediatric cancer. 

The hours the runners cross the finish line are emotional. Some are in pain. Some are in tears... tears of joy, tears of loss, tears of remembering and tears filled with hope. They finish the race. 

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us." -Hebrews 12:1

The triumph in finishing the race is beautiful. When exhaustion sets in, love propels them forward.  

There is a bigger race ahead. One we all complete. Dad used to say, "You've got to be paid up, prayed up and ready to go up." I still think of His words. I'm grateful for the two souls I've known to finish their race in the past week. We can only imagine.  

Today, I am grateful for the moments we finish the race.