“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run,
but only one gets the prize?
Run in such a way as to
get the prize.
Everyone who competes
in the games goes into strict training.
They do it to get a
crown that will not last,
but we do it to get a
crown that will last forever.”
(1 Corinthians 9 vs. 24& 25)
In Massachusetts, April 19th is Patriots Day. That gave me two choices to write about today; Paul Revere’s ride or the Boston Marathon. There is a similarity, and it is not direction.
The
marathon involves over 30,000 participants; one woman and one man will make a six-figure
paycheck and win. As many as twenty others will receive appearance money and
have good paydays. Most will receive personal gratification and receive a
well-tuned engine for their body from the training and recognition for a great
effort. They do it out of the passion that endurance athletes have and the
feeling of accomplishment.
In
2013 two young terrorists interrupted things a bit at the finish line. That was
a sad day for all involved, and it infuriated Americans and the free world. It demonstrated
a world war in the process, and we need to function normally through it.
In
2020 a virus shut down group events, including spring athletics. There is a new
normal in 2021, but 32,000 registrants lined up to run in Massachusetts. It was
a scary and sad year for us.
In
1775, Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Sam Prescott raced out of Boston with a
message that the British were moving out. Their message to the people of
greater Boston was the call to arms. Unfortunately, Paul did not get very far
because he was picked up in west Cambridge by a British patrol. However, he did
get the poem named for him. Dawes and Prescott did not rhyme as well. They were
on a mission to benefit humanity, were unselfish, and are American heroes.
Being
fit is a matter of spirit, mind, and body. Life is not a sprint. It is a marathon.
We need to race it and live it with our eye on the ultimate prize promised
through our faith: “…a crown that will last.”
Thought for Today: Let
us focus on our race for the prize; take a step closer to perfection.
Prayer for Today: We pray
for the safety and success of the many runners in Boston. May they be blessed
with fitness and great memories.
Amen
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