Ive been running a lot more as of late, and I love the feeling of being healthy but hate the process. You start off and you feel fine. Tell yourself well this isn't bad. I don't mind this so much. Then you get about a mile and your thoughts go from this is fine to, I hope I can push through the next four miles. I hope my legs don't give out. I can do this I'm going to be fine. You keep your mind on the finish and push. Around mile three your legs start to say, i don't know if you noticed but I'm tired and would like to no longer be in pain. You know your so close and you only have to push a little bit harder and the race is done. You tell yourself only a little more. You can't let up now, your almost done. You need to finish well, you can't walk. So you push harder and pray that there is energy enough to get you across the line. You finally meet your goal and cross the line. The sweat coming off you is evidence that you ran the race well. you pushed and gave it everything you had.
Why is it so hard to finish well? The end of the race is near and your body wants to give out. You can either allow the pain to wash over you, or push through. And you know pushing is another word for painful. The runner knows that if they are running the race well the end will be the most painful but the most gratifying if ran well. This translates to our lives so easily. When faced with a task, goal, project, program, schooling, or whatever we face the point of do i finish well?

I'm at the end of a nine month program at Sandy Cove Ministries, and I have to ask the question am I finishing well? Am I running the race to the fullest or throwing in the towel? It is not easy, it is not fun, but the value of pushing through this last little bit of pain will shape me even more. I would like to think I have grown up some since coming here and that God has used things here to shape more into the man I am to be. My race has been full of hills and obstacles but I can see the end and my prayer is that I would finish well. That at the end I can feel every muscle ache, every bone hurt because I ran so hard to the finish line.

My race does not end here though, My God has more for me to do. So when this journey in my life comes to an end, I will begin another and run to my fullest. If your reading this I ask that You pray for me and the others in this program that we would finish well and keep seeking Christ. Salvation does just happen at the cross and stay there. It is hard race we must all keep going on. So please pray for us. And if there is anything I can pray for let me know.