The Final Mile

Running has always been a favorite past time of mine.  For several years I had gotten out of the habit, but recently have found myself craving my time on the pavement.  Why do I love running so much?  I spend as much of this time as possible in prayer.  As a single mommy of two little boys, this is the only part of my day where I can REALLY be alone.  It's just the road ahead, my Heavenly Father, and me.  If you are not a runner, you may think I am absolutely crazy!  It's okay, sometimes when I'm nearing the end of a workout, I have the exact same thought!  Today, however, a different thought occurred to me.  After completing mile four, I heard the words, "One more mile to go!"  WOO HOO!!!  Generally, this is the point in my run when I want to quit, but today I had a profound thought.  "How would I run this last mile if I knew that eternity was waiting for me at the finish line?"  Would I stop dead in my tracks, unable to move another step? Or would I turn around and run the other direction as fast as I could?  Maybe I would slow to a walk in order to enjoy my last few moments along the way?  Or, would I run with reckless abandon towards that finish line?

In Philippians, Paul gives us a very clear answer to this question. "...Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 3:13-14)  Truly, any answer listed above other than the last, goes against the Lord's will for our lives.  Obviously, none of us know when we will experience our "final mile," but we may very well already be in it.  My life experiences are a pretty good example to that fact.  We had no idea that J would never again step foot outside his car when he drove away that fatal morning.  Yet, it could just as easily have been me, instead of him.  Which caused me to wonder, "Do I desire the things of God so much that I can leave everything else behind, pick up my pace, and sprint to the finish line where eternity awaits?"  Of course, I want my answer to be, "YES," and most of the time it is.  However, I'll bet we can all look at times in our lives when we lost sight of the finish line because we were distracted by the things that surrounded us.  Life is full of distractions, and my name is high on the list of those who are easily distracted.  Keeping our focus on the Lord through prayer and daily quiet time is the best cure to these distractions.  The times when I am most diligent to seek the Lord are the times when the finish line is most vivid in my sight.

Today's run was a good reminder that my only purpose on this earth is to run the race the Lord has placed ahead of me as if each mile was the last.  We were created to bring glory to God in every aspect of what we say and do.  My prayer is that my words and actions will always be a reflection of my Lord and Savior by bringing glory to His name alone.  Once my time here on earth is done, I want to be able to stand tall while I say, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Tim. 4:7)