Finish the Course

 Finish the Course

 

I am not a runner. I walk quite a bit. I even have a step counter to prove it. I recently completed the annual Hunger Walk and 5K Run event in my neck of the woods. The goal was to raise money for a local food bank in Cincinnati. 

 

I was in. I like to walk and I LOVE to know the money raised will feed hungry people in my community. 

 

Yep, I can walk. 

But run? No. 

If I were in that well-known race captured in children’s literature, I would be the tortoise, not the hare. That’s not all that bad. If you remember the story, the tortoise wins. Not because he’s fast but because he stays the course.

 

Many people offer advice on winning a race. They train to win. They hire coaches and spend hours timing their runs. 

 

Since you already know I’m not a runner, you know not to expect a post coaching you on how to win. This is a post coaching you to stay the course. It’s about crossing the finish line. 

 

Because in most of life Finishing is Winning.

 

Staying the course earns you a certificate, diploma, or degree in educational circles.

Staying the course helps you finish a difficult task or pay off your debt.

We know staying the course, even when it is an uphill battle in any relationship has its own rewards.

 

Sometimes the rewards for finishing the course are delayed. 

 

Consider parenting. Finish the course. Yes, there are perks along the way, but watching your children grow to be fine adults is wonderful. And grandkids are a bonus!

 

Work. Finish the course. Okay, you get a paycheck, but you plod along and do your best. One day, you wake up to retirement and say, “Is this Monday or Tuesday?” before you fall back into your pillow for and extra hour of sleep.

 

In the Bible, Paul talks about staying the course, running the good race. He writes to Timothy, “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.” He doesn’t speak of “winning.” He speaks of “finishing.” (2 Timothy 4:7) In Hebrews 12, he writes, “let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

 

Run the race. Finish the course. Fight the good fight.

 

So how do you do that?One step at a time. One day at a time. One small objective leading to a larger goal. 

 

Losing weight? One pound at a time.

Get a diploma? One course at a time.

Learn a new skill? One day at a time.

 

It’s kind of like the old joke: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

What course are you traveling? Leave a comment and I’ll offer you a word of encouragement!

Here are a few pics from the event:

We started with the Star-Spangled Banner...

We walked from Ohio to Kentucky! (Not as far as it sounds.)

 

 

Yes we had a celebration with hot dogs and everything! (I told you there are rewards for finishing the course!)