(Sept. 21/2016)
“It is when we are pushed to our limits, beaten up and drained that our posture can speaker louder than words.”
For the last 5 years, I’ve challenged myself both mentally and physically via mud races. They push your limits of strength, endurance and grit. The end result is more or less the same: exhaustion, often injured and a sense or accomplishment. However, this year was different.
I wasn’t able to train at the level I would’ve like due to schedule constraints and injuries sustained earlier in the year. Three weeks prior, I wasn’t even sure I would be able to race due to an aggravated neck and back strain. Needless to say, I wasn’t thrilled to compete in the race this year and often thought about backing out up until the evening before. However, because I committed to it I didn’t want to let my teammates down and be back-out Betty.
The morning of the race I woke up and knew I had 2 choices: 18km of struggles or offer it up for something greater. I decided I would stop myself from complaining, endure any injury that may happen, and remain joyful.
Finding Christ in that race was the last thing I expected. Wherein the past races there is often camaraderie, there is also complaining, gripping and swearing from your teammates and strangers that you run with.
As the race progressed, I noticed I was oddly cheery as were the fellow strangers I was racing with. There were endless words of cheering and encouragement every kilometer along the way. For a good 10-15km my team kept running into the same three groups of people. What was unique with these groups, were the different bible quotes printed on the back of each of their t-shirts. I was floored that even in an event like this, that they were able to proclaim and evangelize their faith in their own way.
Not only did their shirts proclaim Christ, but also in the way they cheered their own teammates and strangers alike. Their posture stood firm, as the race become more strenuous and the hours continued to pass. Even though they were exhausted and dirty, they remained Christ-like. It is when we are pushed to our limits, beaten up and drained that our posture can speaker louder than words. That no matter the unlikely circumstance, you can always find Christ in anyplace and in everything.