When running my last marathon, I ran great until the last few miles. I was running along with a full head of steam just a mile previously, but after mile 21, I felt as though my energy had been completely drained. It was a struggle just to keep my feet going.
I was glad when my friend Eric met me at the water stop just after that crucial mile. He was energetic and smooth, offering words of encouragement as he ran. I found that I as I looked at him I began to feel better. I began to feed on his energy and fall into step with his stride. That mile that he ran with me gave me the energy that I needed to be able to finish the race in my best time ever.
I was talking with our itineration manager on Friday He told me that, in order to be able to buy our plane tickets for language school in Costa Rica, we would need to finish our support raising by July 31st. That means that our last $1600 of monthly support would have to be in by the end of this month. Hearing this news gives me that feeling that I had at mile 21 of the marathon. We are working so hard and we have gained so much ground, but the goal still seems so far out of reach.
That’s when I can take comfort in the words of the writer of Hebrews: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..” So often, I think of Jesus as standing before me, almost as a loved one would stand at the finish line of a race, but now I realize that Jesus has not only gone before me, but He is also running with me, and as I focus on Him, falling into his pace, and hearing His words of encouragement, the race becomes runnable again.
Does the task before you seem to be too big to handle? Know that Jesus is working with you to complete, and with the two of you working together, there is nothing that you cannot accomplish!
