"Take and Deep breath, and Run"

I added running to my exercise regimen last week. This reminded me of when I was a kid running the mandatory President fitness exam. I remember dreading when test time came; pull-ups, sit-ups, climbing a rope and a timed run. As a result of being husky as an elementary student I didn’t excel at this exam. The running part of this test is what I remember the most. I remember sprinting in the beginning of the run to keep up with the other kids, but shortly after the quick burst of energy I went from a sprint, to a light jog, to a walk. In time I learned that if I just paced myself when I ran, I would do better. When I started pacing myself I soon realized that I was able to run farther, thus having a greater impact on my physical health. The longer I ran, the better I felt, and the more I would hear the Phys-Ed teacher call my name to finish the run strong. I now find myself in a similar situation 25 years later. This time my goal is to run a mile around my neighborhood. Day one was, well, let’s say a struggle. Day two I did better, and everyday it gets easier. Josh joined me on my run the second day, and giving the little guy props, his little legs went non-stop. He actually beat me to the finish line (well with a little help from me.) A few days later Jeremiah and Nathan joined me for a run. Each day, I make progress and now I am modeling good health to my kids. The life of the Christ Follower is just like a marathon. In such a fast paced world, we have to renew our minds to this truth. We are in a race from the day of our spiritual birth until the day we go to be with Jesus. Each day that we choose to live for God we get healthier and stronger. Each day we run in this marathon we have a coach that is pushing us on. Each day we have other runners running with us, but our goal doesn’t end there. We now have to pass on spiritual health to our children, and the up-in-coming generations. Remember, pace yourself for this race: it is not a sprint. I conclude with the following quote from Mrs. Thetus Tenney, mother of Tommy Tenney, “Much as a star athlete may pass along the genes of a champion to his or her children, we have the very real possibility of passing along the eternal fervor of spiritual pursuit.” I conclude with this thought, “What are you pursuing, and if it is the Lord, are you bringing your kids along with you?”