Running the Race with Patience

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” (Hebrews 12:1 AV) 

 On the Fourth of July Joan and I celebrated in a different way from most Americans. We ran in a 10K race. We both finished, although far from the front. I am reminded of what Paul (at least in my opinion Paul) wrote to the Hebrews so long ago. 

 There was a “cloud” of witnesses. People were on their front lawns and at the intersections cheering us on. People were manning the water tables. The last mile was down Main Street Freeport, Maine and there were people on both sides cheering the runners on. There were the other runners, we were never running alone. The runners laid aside the weight of extra clothing, some even shedding items along the way. The shoes we wore were not hiking boots, but purpose built for running. Many of us had intentionally lost body weight as part of our race preparations. 

 Most reminiscent however is patience, or as the word is sometimes defined: endurance. The race started with over one mile of steady down hill course. It was easy, we were fresh, cool, adrenaline stoked. Then there was the small stream that crossed under the road, the tidal creek on the other side; and the first hill. It was short, not too steep, but it was a taste of things to come. After a few more miles of gentle ups and downs there were two short steep hills, nothing big, nothing long. Then after the fourth mile the course went up, for about one mile, with no relief, and then the longest steepest hill in the whole course. The road was heating up, the air was heating up, and the humidity had been high the whole race. This is where endurance was needed. We needed to endure the hill, endure the scream of muscles wanting to rest, endure the last mile. 

 It's not so different from our current situation. Right now we are in the easy first stage of this ministry. We are excited, financially solvent, and mostly contacting churches that we know and that know us. But the road ahead will have challenges and we know that. I had two advantages in the 10K; I had walked the course two days before and I knew exactly where the finish line was. In this ministry we don't get a look at the course before hand, if we did we might not run the race! We also do not know where the finish line is, only God knows. Yet, we are to run the race. This implies pressing forward. Trying to charge up the hills, lengthening stride down the hills. Never burning out, but always pressing forward until we hear those blessed words: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant...”