Pastor David Asscherick shares his experience of training and running a marathon. During the process he realized that finishing the marathon was a bigger quest than just losing weight and strengthening muscles. He claims, “It opened a window to his soul. It has been a call to unrushed prayer, undeferred scripture study, and unfeigned ministry. It has been a call to radical self-evaluation and a thorough spiritual inventory.”
Wow is what I thought! I bet you are thinking the same. How does a marathon evoke such intense revival and feelings? Let me share with you how David Asscherick puts it...
His training and enthusiasm was peak high for the first three months. Glorious even, an exciting blur, he explains. Lungs and legs were strengthening rapidly and times and distances were ahead of schedule. At his preparatory race, the 1/2 marathon, he did fantastic. He mistakenly assumed the marathon would be exactly twice as hard as the 1/2 marathon. Ok, he thought he could handle that. With this knowledge, his training took a hit the last three months. Ran a little less, fooled himself into thinking he was fitter than he was, skipped long runs, stayed in bed under the warm covers instead of getting up for the morning runs.
Suddenly, the race was three weeks away, three months, no three weeks! Somehow he resisted the urge to panic. He said, "Sure, I've trained, but I know inside not enough." Nervousness started to set in as he contemplated rescheduling or canceling. "How can I break it to my running partner, Gerard? Or to my younger brother, Robert, who's training faithfully so he can run with me? The dozens of people I've told confidently and a little too proudly, 'Yup, I'm running a marathon December 5.' How could I face them? How could I face myself?" He canceled his cancellation plans.
Race day arrives. He gets through the first 15 miles easily, then at mile sixteen his leg went into what he referred to as full blown Lucifer mode. It was like his legs stopped against his will. While experiencing cramps and pain, runners, by the hundred, were passing him left and right. Walking and wincing the only thing that he could think of is the last three months of careless preparation.
He began to notice the spiritual implications- and soon it was all he could think about. With each labored step all he thought was had he tricked himself similarly about his spiritual condition as he did his fitness condition? There is no substitute for preparation. A finisher is mostly made alone he says, so too with christianity. "Spiritual health and fitness are procured, largely, alone. The individual soul alone with God - “The work of preparation is an individual work,” wrote Ellen White. This is where real "religion" - "realigion," if you like - is to be found and fostered.
End-time heroics, like marathons, don't just happen in a vacuum. They require time and energy before the shining spotlight flicks on."
He finished the marathon but barely he says.
Wow! Are you thinking what I’m thinking?
Am I what I think I am? Are you?
Am I ready to run this race? Are you?
Am I kidding myself about my own spiritual condition? Are you?
These are the right questions and Jesus is the right answer. "Therefore.. let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith." (Heb 12:1,2)
And he ends, "Because again, it's one thing to stand at the start line and it's quite another to stand at the finish line. Don't be satisfied to 'look' like a finisher. Be a finisher! Prepare to meet your God!"
As for my life...
It's hard to believe the last time I updated was in December. God had been good to me! Ski season came and went. I did get a wonderful pair of new K2 Skis. Thanks to my Mommy.
Spring in Pennsylvania has come early! I'm not complaining! :-) It is nice to have sunny warm weather in the middle of March. I'm in the middle of planning my upcoming trip to Africa. I will be gone for most of June with my wonderful friend Joanne! I'm looking forward to the trip and spending some much needed quality time with Jo!
I also am the newest volunteer for Samaritan's Purse! I will be assisting their team, The Children's Heart Project with the transportation of children with cardiac defects to the United Sates to have surgery. How exciting! Definitely more to follow on this.
This week I have been struck by the profound thought of time. Thought: Giving a person your time is essentially giving someone a part of your life that you will never be able to take back. Time is love. So simple yet so profound! I think time is the best gift I could ever receive. :-) I'm thankful that God gives me His time and time abundantly. Life abundantly. May all that I do bring glory and honor to our Creator and Savior!
