"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." 2 Timothy 4:7
Saturday, October 3, was the second annual Frog Hill Half Marathon and 10k presented by TEAM 413 Gracerunner Ministries. And what a great day it was! We couldn't have asked for better weather and, from start to finish, it was an absolutely blessed day. Precisely at 8:30 am, the runners were off to make their descent down "Frog Hill" and complete either 13.1 or 6.2 miles. There were runners, walkers, new runners, seasoned runners, old, young and even those pushing strollers but they all had one thing in common... to make it to the finish line.
And as I watched the finishers cross it one by one, it seemed that for some, the race was easy and for others much harder. And then for one, harder still. It took all Laurel had to make it. She was a 57 year old mother of six and grandmother of 12. She had been training for three years to do a half marathon. Three years! What determination that must have taken. Although the race was hard and there were times she felt like giving up, she knew what awaited her at the finish line... the prize. While she received a medal for her efforts, the bible tells us that we have something far better waiting for us at the end, "the crown of righteousness" which the Lord, himself, will award. And the best part? It's for "all who have longed for his appearing", all those who have kept the faith.
You can be sure that the Christian race will not be an easy one but it will be worth it. There's no finishers medal in all the world that will compare to the "crown of righteousness" we will receive if we continue to the end. Isn't that worth the fight?
Heavenly Father, thank you for your love, kindness and mercy that you give us every day. Thank you for the strength to fight the good fight and to finish the race that we might claim the prize you have in store for us. May we continue "training" every day, enduring trials and overcoming temptations, as we push towards the finish line and meet you face to face. Oh what a glorious day that will be! It's in your precious name we pray, Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!!!
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| Laurel accepting her very deserved finishers medal and lantern for being the "light at the end of the tunnel" |
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| Another one of our fabulous water stations |
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