Recently I was in Des Moines, Iowa for the IMT Des Moines Marathon weekend. We had a wonderful time sharing with the great people of Des Moines and the surrounding area. It's such a great event!
On race day, I ran the half marathon. Somewhere along the 5 - 8 mile stretch through Water Works Park, there was a man playing the theme from the movie Chariots of Fire. The music is dramatic and a bit slow -- if you didn't know where the music originated, you simply wouldn't understand it's intensity!
I heard a man say, "Well, how boring is that -- they could at least play some music to fire me up!"
My mind raced back to that 1981 movie and the quotes of Eric Liddell. I thought they were worth sharing:
"You came to see a race today. To see someone win. It happened to be me. But I want you to do more than just watch a race. I want you to take part in it. I want to compare faith to running in a race. It's hard. It requires concentration of will, energy of soul. You experience elation when the winner breaks the tape - especially if you've got a bet on it. But how long does that last? You go home. Maybe you're dinner's burnt. Maybe you haven't got a job. So who am I to say, "Believe, have faith," in the face of life's realities? I would like to give you something more permanent, but I can only point the way. I have no formula for winning the race. Everyone runs in her own way, or his own way. And where does the power come from, to see the race to its end? From within. Jesus said, "Behold, the Kingdom of God is within you. If with all your hearts, you truly seek me, you shall ever surely find me." If you commit yourself to the love of Christ, then that is how you run a straight race."
"I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure."
When I run, I really do feel God's pleasure! Do you?
Under HIS Grace...
Chris
