Strengthening the Weakest Link

"I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me... I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me." -Matthew 25:40;45

Wow! It's been a while since I added an entry to my blog. My last post was over 5 months ago. A lot has happened since then. My father-in-law finished his cancer treatments and moved back to his home in New Mexico, I celebrated my 40th birthday, my 11 year-old son started Boy Scouts (which has resulted in some weekend trips), my 14 year-old daughter spent the Spring season on the High School Track Team, and I gradually recovered from an injury.

In my last post, I wrote about making the transition to minimalist, near-barefoot shoes. About a month after I wrote my blog entry, I suffered my first running-related injury in years: a stress fracture in the third metatarsal of my right foot - which led to a self-imposed 5 week vacation from running to allow my foot to heal. Over the past several months, many people have asked me if my minimalist shoes caused my injury. When they ask me that, I never say yes. My shoes didn't cause my injury - I caused my injury.

A stress fracture is an overuse injury. It isn't caused by blunt force like other bone fractures. As I wrote in my last blog, the muscles in our legs and feet serve as shock absorbers. When muscles are overtired, they are no longer able to lessen the shock of repeated impacts. When this happens, the muscles transfer the stress of impact to the bones. This can create small cracks or fractures. That is exactly what happened to me. When people ask me what caused my injury, I tell them the rest of my body was in better shape than my feet and I pushed my feet too far, too fast. My feet were my weakest link... and the weakest link broke.

I knew that going in to the transition from traditional running shoes to the Vibram 5 Fingers. I knew that if I didn't give my feet the opportunity to adapt to the added stress, I would develop a stress fracture. I knew it... I was just too impatient. My body was capable of running 5 to 6 miles (or more). My feet weren't. Instead of taking the time to strengthen the weakest link of my body, I impatiently forged ahead, running 5 to 6 miles a day, until my feet couldn't keep up any longer. I remember the day it happened. The arch of my left foot was a little chaffed and irritated. That caused me to favor my left foot a little and put just enough of an increased load on my right foot to "break the camel's back," so to speak. That was it... no running for 5 weeks. Obviously, cutting off my feet and getting a stronger, faster pair wasn't an option. So, the body that was eager to run 5 to 6 miles a day was forced to stop running all together.

That whole experience got me thinking. How many times do I do that in my relationships with other people? How many times do I do that in the leadership roles that I have... as a father... as a worship pastor? How many times do we as leaders in the church or community do that? Do what, you ask? How often do I... do we get impatient with the weaker ones in our body and try to forge ahead with those who are up to speed with where we want to be... leaving the weak susceptible to hurt and injury?

Throughout the Bible, we see that God's heart is not just for the strong and able. He pays special attention to the weak. We see story after story where God hand-picks the smallest and the weakest to work on His behalf - pouring into them His grace and strength and equipping them for the God-sized dreams He calls them to. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus gives us this insight into the heart of God:

"If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish." Matthew 18:12-14

In speaking about the promised return of the Lord, the Apostle Peter says this about God's heart toward the weaker amongst us:

"The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent." 2 Peter 3:9

If a holy and perfect God can be that patient and longsuffering with sinful mankind, then shouldn't we, as recipients of His patience and mercy, be patient and longsuffering with those who need our help to grow into mature disciples of Jesus. Besides, the fruit of the Spirit, if we indeed are filled with the Spirit, is patience/longsuffering, kindness, gentleness, goodness, etc.

Throughout the New Testament of the Bible, the Church of Jesus is often compared to a body. Just as cutting my feet off and replacing them with a stronger, faster pair was not an option; treating weaker souls under our care as dispensable resources should not be an option either. In a true body, all parts are needed - weak and strong alike... otherwise it is not a complete body. In his first letter to the church in Corinth, Paul wrote this:

"In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad." 1 Corinthians 12:22-26

After my five weeks of rest were over, I began running again - this time with a focus on strengthening my weakest parts. For the past 10 weeks, I have been gradually increasing the intensity and distance of my runs - starting out 10 weeks ago with a very conservative run/walk program, to now running 30 - 40 minutes at a time. As I have paid special attention to strengthening my weak feet, my entire body has gotten stronger. The same should be true of a church... or a team... or even an organization. If everyone in the body works together to strengthen it's weakest parts, then the body as a whole will get stronger.

My question now is, am I applying that knowledge to other areas of my life: When I lead worship, am I only leading the most exuberant worshippers in our congregation, or am I taking care to lead the newest worshippers in our body as well? Do I get impatient and feel frustrated when other members of my family can't move forward as fast as I can, or do I take the time to teach and explain so that we can all move forward together? I hope so. I know that if I am daily filled with the Spirit of the ever-patient God, then I will be well able to. The same can and should be true of you as well.

Let's run the race... together... not leaving anyone behind.

Leaving the Crutches Behind

"Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed." - Hebrews 12:12-13

I have been running fairly consistently for just over 8 years now.  For the most part, my muscles, ligaments and joints have pretty well adapted to the rigors of running.  It is a rare occurrence when I actually get sore muscles from a leisurely 5 - 6 mile run.  That is until recently.

When I first started running, I didn't want to invest a lot of money into the pasttime, because I didn't know how long my desire to run would last... so I bought the cheapest pair of big-box department store "running" shoes that I could find and headed out the door.  Those shoes served me well until I started increasing my mileage beyond the 6-mile mark.  Around that time, I developed a severe pain on the outside of my right knee - a very common overuse injury called iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS).  A good friend of mine (once he saw the shoes I was running in) suggested I go to a running specialty store and get fitted for some proper running shoes.  Later that week, he took me to our local Fleet Feet running store, where I underwent a very thorough shoe-fitting. Through that session, I learned that I was a "heel-striker" and an "over-pronator," and I needed "support" running shoes to correct my imperfections. Armed with a pair of $100 support running shoes on my feet, I continued running and my ITBS went away.

As I transitioned from being a casual runner to a student of running, I came across a short book titled "Running Fast and Injury Free" by Gordon Pirie.  Gordon Pirie was a mid-twentieth century British long-distance runner. In his book, he listed his 12 Laws of Running.  All 12 of his laws helped to transform me into a much more efficient runner, but the first two of his laws really peaked my interest:

1. Running with correct technique (even in prepared bare feet), on any surface, is injury free.
2. Running equals springing through the air, landing elastically on the forefoot with a flexed knee (thus producing quiet feet). On landing, the foot should be directly below the body. (Walking is landing on the heels with a straight leg).

I knew that over-pronation was the cause of my bout with ITBS... and I knew that I was a heel-striker. I wondered if I could transition from being a heel-striker to being a forefoot striker, then possibly my tendency to over-pronate and my susceptibility to injury would go away.  It was worth a try. So for the next few months, I worked on transitioning my running form, and successfully left the world of heel-striking behind. Soon after becoming a forefoot-striker, I was able to transition from using stability shoes to cushioned neutral shoes. Over the years since then, I have gradually shied away from shoes with any kind of correctional technologies and have gotten more and more minimalistic in my shoe purchases with each year. All the while, Pirie's first law has been a lingering question in the back of my mind: could I actually run barefoot and remain injury free.  A few times, I tried running barefoot, either on a soft rubberized track, or a well-manicured football field, but was always afraid of the possibility of cutting my feet on a sharp rock, twig, or piece of broken glass.  That was until a few weeks ago.

A couple of years ago, a new type of shoe came on the scene: Vibram FiveFingers.  Their shoes were not specifically created for running, but runners wanting to try running barefoot were snatching them up left and right.  Just a few weeks ago, I finally determined that the time was right, and I bought a pair of Vibram FiveFingers (KSO model).  With these shoes, the only thing between the road and my bare feet is a 3.5mm piece of rubber.  No cushioning, no corrective structures or technology... just a thin piece of rubber to protect your feet from sharp objects.  In fact, I recently saw an advertisement for Vibram FiveFingers that says "You are the technology."

I have been surprised at the difference running "barefoot" makes. So far I am up to running just over 4 miles in the Vibrams.  My feet do not hurt, but I have noticed a lot more muscle soreness than I am used to. Muscles that were never fully engaged when I ran in cushioned shoes are now enlisted in dampening the impact of each stride and moving me forward step by step. Since running "barefoot" I have experienced tightness and some soreness from my lower legs, all the way up to my lower back and obliques.  The muscles that were taking it easy and going along for the ride as I ran in cushioned comfort are now being activated and called to duty. Now that my comfortable cushioned shoe crutches have been left behind, my body is completely committed to the act of running... probably for the first time in my life.

God designed the human body to run, with built-in systems for dampening impact and propelling forward. Many times, shoe companies design shoes to mask people's bad habits and improper running form instead of encouraging people to run correctly and utilizing the "technologies" that God has already built in to the human body. As the Vibram advertisement says, "You are the technology."  You can't help but run correctly in a pair of Vibrams.  It's too painful not to. A few days ago, I came across this quote from David Platt in his book "Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream" and it got me thinking:

"You don't need to have inordinate skill or unusual abilities to make disciples. You don't need to be a successful pastor or a charismatic leader to make disciples. You don't need to be a great communicator or an innovative thinker to make disciples. That's why Jesus says every Christian must do this. One of the unintended consequences of contemporary church strategies that revolve around performances, places, programs, and professionals is that somewhere along the way people get left out of the picture. But according to Jesus, people are God's method for winning the world to Himself. People who have been radically transformed by Jesus. People who are not sidelined to sit in a chair on Sundays while they watch professionals take care of ministry for them. People who are equipped on Sundays to participate in ministry every day of the week. People who are fit and free to do precisely what Jesus did and what Jesus told us to do. Make disciples."

Performances, places, programs, and professionals have become our comfortable cushioned shoes... they have become our crutches... and because of them, we are not fully engaged in the Great Commission, and sadly, we are not fit and free to do what Jesus has called us as the church to do. This is not true of the world-wide church as a whole. I would not say this is true of the church in China, or Africa, or India... but it is true of the church in America. Instead of fully running the race, we have designed performances and programs, invested in places, and hired titillating professionals to mask our imperfections and hide our immaturity. I can say that because I am just as guilty of it as the next person. Check out this quote from the Apostle Paul:

"Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love." Ephesians 4:10-16

Just as God designed the body to run, He designed the Church to be fruitful and multiply and cover the earth with the knowledge of the Glory of God. When we use our own methods and "technologies" to mask our imperfections and appear fit to the world, we do the church and the world no service. If anything, we weaken the church and cause her to become irrelevant to the world. Don't get me wrong: performances, places, programs, and professionals are not bad - as long as they complement what God is doing and fully utilize the people that God is using.

Back to the quote from Hebrews above. The Message puts it this way:

"So don't sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it!" Hebrews 12:12-13 (The Message)

Let's leave those comfortable cushioned crutches behind, get fully engaged, and run the race!

Coaching Along the Way

"Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night." Deuteronomy 6:6-7 - The Message

In my last post, I wrote a little about humility - that true humility is seeing yourself honestly.  Over the years, as I have looked at myself honestly, I have come to discover this truth: I am not great at anything.  Now, before you rise up in arms to prove my assessment wrong, and attempt to build up my self-esteem, hear me out.  I do a lot of things well... but I don't excel in anything.  I would probably be considered an above-average runner... but I am not a great runner.  I sing well... but I am not an incredible singer.  I can hold my own on the acoustic guitar... but a "guitar player," I am not qualified to be called.  I am a pretty good worship leader... but far from being highly regarded in that field.  I am competent in the things I do for a profession... but definitely not considered an expert.  Get the picture?  I am not a specialist in anything.  Instead, I would be considered something of a generalist: someone who is generally competent, and maybe even above-average in many things, but mastering none of them.  And that is totally ok with me.  In fact, I rather enjoy it.  It is the way I have been created... and for good reason.

Long before the D.I.S.C. Assessment or the Myers-Briggs personality tests, the Bible was speaking of innate motivations thoughtfully placed within every human being.  If you look at Romans 12:3-8, you will see a list of those seven God-given motivational gifts.  Over the years, I have discovered that God has placed in me a strong motivation to teach.  I love to teach.  While I don't often get the opportunity to teach in a formal classroom setting, I am always teaching.  My generalist design complements my motivation to teach well.  Because I am generally good (or at least competent) in many things, I get to satisfy my motivation to teach in many different areas.  Since I'm not a specialist in anything, I will probably never be a professor in a college... but I will always have the opportunity to impart my knowledge and experience to those who are up-and-coming... giving them a leg-up and helping them excel at the callings they are gifted for.

Several years ago, for a short season, I was given the opportunity to take over and teach a class on worship.  I loved it.  In preperation for the class, I dove into books and Bible study, and ended up completely re-writing the course.  Teaching the class was a joy... but beyond the joy of actually teaching the class was being able to watch my students grow as worship leaders.  During my last semester of teaching that particular course, there was a young man who attended my classes.  He was new to our church and still in college.  We was a pretty competent musician and was wondering if there was a call from God on his life to lead worship.  Since that class, that young man has graduated from college and entered a ministry training program in our church.  Over the years, I have watched him grow as a minister and as a worship leader.  Recently, I have had the honor of leading along side him, and even serving under him as he leads.  He is well on his way to becomming an incredibly effective worship leader... far more effective than I will ever be.

This past year, that same young man decided to venture into long-distance running.  It was my joy to see him joining our organized Saturday morning runs, as we trained together to complete a Fall half-marathon.  He had never run in an organized race before, much less a half-marathon.  In most of our runs, we ended up runnning together.  At first, I was holding my pace back so that he could stay with me.  Toward the end of the training season, I was having to increase my pace a bit to stay with him.  One of his concerns going into the half-marathon was that he would get too excited at the beginning of the race and, end up going out too fast.  He really wanted to be able to finish well... so we talked about that, and I gave him what wisdom I had gained over my years of racing and facing similar challenges.  On race day, we got seperated at the start, but quickly found each other about a half-mile in.  From that point we ran together... taking breaks together... encouraging each other on.  Mile 11 was our last water stop.  After that stop, he was still feeling strong and actually felt that he could actually ramp his pace up even more.  I was already running my best... so he went on ahead and ended up finishing a few minutes before me.  While you may think that would make me upset, in fact it did the opposite.  It gave me joy to see him doing so well.  I had done my part: I used my knowledge and wisdom to set him up for success.  The fact that he did better than me doesn't disappoint me... it encourages me... to know that I am doing what God has called me to do: pour into, train up, and equip the next generation.  That young man has been positioned by many in his life (I'm priviledged to be one of them) to excel - to become all that God has created him to be.  If he becomes a better worship leader or runner or minister of the Gospel than me, I will celebrate him and God's work in him all the way.  The thing that would disappoint me would be for him to squander the wisdom, knowledge, and opportunities that have been given to him, and fail to reach his destiny in Christ.

While teaching is a strong motivator in my life, you don't have to be gifted with a teaching motivation in order to pour into others.  We are all called to share our knowledge and wisdom.  We are all called to set up the next generation to succeed.  The Bible is full of challenges to pass on and train up the next generation.  We don't have to stand at a lecturn in front of a class to teach.  We don't have to hold a clipboard in hand, with a whistle around our neck to coach.  All we have to do is walk with people - run along side people - and share with them the things that have been passed on to us.

Right now, in our home, we have three generations living under the same roof.  For a short season, my father-in-law has come to live with us as he undergoes daily treatment for cancer.  For the first time in their lives, my kids have ready-access to a grandparent. Their grandfather never went to college... he never ran a successful business... he never won any awards... but he has lived 72 years of life - and what wisdom he has gained in those 72 years, he freely passes along.  It's wonderful to see the things that are getting imparted into my kids life, both directly and indirectly, because he is here.  We all have something to give.  Don't hoard... don't be stingy... freely give.  It is amazing how much life will flow into you, as you are faithful to let it flow out of you to others.

Before I close, I want to mention this.  Since the arrival of our new family member, priorities in the Hicks household have shifted a bit.  Because of that, I don't have the time to keep this blog updated on a regular basis.  I will update it as time allows, and as God continues to give me the grace.  Thank you to all of you who read this, for your understanding, support and prayers.

Let's keep running the race, and remember to coach along the way.

Tips to get you motivated to run

This was too good to not share:

Tips to get you motivated to run

An Attitude of Gratitude

"God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble... Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you... Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you...
Because of the grace God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the standard of our God-given faith." Proverbs 3:34; 1 Peter 5:6-7; James 4:7-8; Romans 12:3

What a year it has been.  It was just over a year ago that I got the wild hair to run my second full marathon.  Just before Thanksgiving of 2009, I began conditioning myself so that I could begin marathon training in time to run the 2010 Country Music Marathon.  Since then I have logged over 1,200 miles, ran an almost full marathon (would have finished if it wasn't for that pesky thunderstorm that rolled in around mile 18), a 10k, and ran and helped train a whole team of people for a fall half marathon.



Some of the 1Voice Runners after the

2010 Franklin Classic - a few of the

people that I am truly grateful for.

Most of the time, endurance running is considered an individual sport... and there are many anecdotes out there about the lone long-distance runner - probably because much of the training is done alone.  But in my experience, especially this year, running is far from being a solo endeavor.  I will even go out on a limb and say that hundreds of people contributed in someway to my running season - and without them (whether I knew them personally or not) my year would not have panned out the way it did.  It would be nice to say that I did all 1,200 of those miles on my own... and that I ran those races on my own... that I organized all those Saturday training runs by myself... that I gave all that advice all out of my vast knowledge and expertice - it would really stoke my ego up a bit... but it would be a lie.

Our culture loves to make much ado over the "self-made man or woman" but in actuality, there is no such thing.  Even getting down to the bare basics of life, every "self-made" person would not even exist, were it not for a biological mother and father.  And then there were the people that, at the bare minimum, sustained the "self-made" person's life while said person was too young to care for himself.  Over the years, scores of people either sacrificed themselves or were sacrificed for Mr. or Mrs. Self-Made's success.  The question isn't whether a person is self-made or not.  The question is, does the person believe himself to be self-made, or does he or she see and appreciate all the minutia of countless contributions made on his behalf throughout the course of his life.

This is where we get to the heart of humility.  Humility is not about debasing yourself.  Debasing yourself can actually be a form of self-centeredness and pride... to where you see yourself as being so individually bad that you can't be helped.  True humility is thinking accurately about yourself.  Did you get to where you are all by yourself? The truth is no, you didn't.  The humble person would acknowledge that fact, and would give credit where credit is due... and in turn would be very greatful.  True gratitude flows out of true humility.

Humility and gratitude are powerful.  Hand-in-hand, they open the gateway for so much life to be released into your life.  As you see in the scriptural quotes above, God resists the proud.  He resists those who believe that they are self-sufficient... who need nothing and no one.  Yet, He gives grace to the humble.  Grace is a gift.  Gifts are always offered... but a gift is not truly given until it is received.  Someone who believes that he needs nothing or doesn't want to admidt that he needs something is not going to receive a gift.  Only someone who is humble will receive a gift that is offered.  That is why Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3)".  The poor in spirit know that in and of themselves, they have nothing... so they are fully willing to receive everything that is offered.  God is willing to offer us so much.  We just have to be humble enough to receive it.  By admitting our need, we receive all that we have need of... and that in turn produces a heart of gratitude, which bears the fruit of thanksgiving.  When we give thanks, we are reminded that we aren't in this race all by ourselves... we don't have only ourselves to rely on.  We are reminded that all we have, in one way or another, has been given to us, and will continue to be given to us as we have the need.  And what does that produce? Peace.  Check this out:

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things." Philippians 4:6-8

With that, here is one practical application of an attitude of gratitude in our everyday lives, written by Ryan Hall:

The Power of Thankfulness  By Ryan Hall

November 27, 2010


When I was in college I wrote three words on three different 3 by 5 cards. These were words that I wanted to be engrained in my character. One of these words was “thankfulness“. At this time, I knew that one of the keys of having a positive attitude on a daily basis is finding something to be thankful for no matter what was going on around me. What I discovered in my pursuit of the thankful heart is that achieving a thankfulness is not a destination, it is a continual journey. To this day I am still trying to adopt more of a thankful heart and spirit.
With Thanksgiving just a couple of days away it is a good time to look at our lives and consider how we might be able to grow into more thankful individuals. I know from my own experience that thankfulness is closely tied to the amount of joy I experience on a daily basis. I have experienced that when I am finding things to be thankful for, there all the sudden seems to be an increase of things to be thankful for. Thankfulness is like a snow ball rolling down a snowy hill. The more thankful I am the easier it is to find things to be thankful for and the more blessing seem to increase around me.
Running is a great illustration of the benefits of a thankful heart. One of the tools I use to help me endure pain during a race is to focus on what part of my body feels good when I start to get tired. For example, when I ran 2:06 at the London Marathon I remember my calves tightening up 10 miles into the race. For a couple of minutes I began to panic as I wasn’t sure if I could make it to the finish if my calves were already tight so early in the race. However, rather than focusing on my tightening calves I focused on the rest of body that was feeling exceptionally good. Being thankful for the good shifted my focus from my calves. This was the last time I thought about my calves for the rest of the race and my thankful spirit lead to a personal best performance.
Thankfulness is a powerful way for us to get through tough times. It unlocks blessings in our lives and increases our joy. I encourage you to let this Thanksgiving kickoff a season of focusing on finding things to be thankful for, whether on the run or in the office.

So I'll end this post with my thanksgiving.  There is no way for me to thank, much less remember all those who gave in some way toward my year in running, but here are a few:

• My wife and family... thank you for giving me the freedom to run... even on Saturday mornings.
• 1 Voice Runners... thank you for allowing me to pour out in you all that has been deposited in me... and thanks for the companionship on all those Summer Saturday morning runs.
• Fleet Feet Nashville... thank you for the awesome marathon training that you offered this spring.  It definitely helped and inspired me throughout this year.
• HCA... thank you for being a place of employment that sees the importance in personal fitness and gratiously placed that belief in the thousands of dollars you gave to encourage people to participate in the Country Music Marathon and Half-Marathon
• My co-workers and boss... thanks for all your support this year... really!.
• All those who sponsored me this Spring as I ran in support of the HCA Hope Fund... you really did keep me going, more than you know.

I could go on and on... but I think you get the picture.  I couldn't have done it without all of you!

Let's keep running the race, willing to receive help and being thankful along the way.

Having the Faith to Start

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” ...Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” ...So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. - Matthew 26:36-39,42,44

Usually, whenever someone talks about running, they either talk about speed or endurance.  Those are both admiral qualities to have.  Personally, I love talking about endurance.  It's pretty amazing to consider what the human body is capable of when someone has the will to endure.  Whether it's in a race or through challenges in life, sticktoitiveness is an inspiring thing. It's one thing to endure through hardships as they come your way.  It's a whole other thing to actually consciously start something you know is going to be long, hard, and challenging.

Two times in my life I have stood at the start of a marathon, knowing full-well the hours of challenge and "suffering" that were ahead of me... wondering to myself, "Why in the world did you sign up for this?"  Most people out there would call that crazy.  Why would anyone in their right mind knowingly submit themselves to four hours of non-stop gruel? Starting a long and rigerous race can be a scary thing to do... akin to jumping out of an airplane when sky diving.  Everything in your body is screaming, "Don't do it!" but you know in your heart-of-hearts that you have to... so you do it.  You commit yourself, and you go.

What is it that helps you overcome that fear of starting?  For me, my fear in taking on a marathon is the fear of failure... the fear of not finishing... the fear of not being able to endure till the end.  I'm not as concerned about the suffering, because suffering is temporary and has an end. I'm more concerned about the label of DNF (did not finish) being stuck to my name.  The thing that gives me the boldness to start is the assurance that I can endure.  It's that intangible thing called faith.  In running, it may be faith in my training... faith in my fitness... faith in my experience... faith in those who have guided my training and given me the insight I need to endure.  But more than faith in the things that I've done or others have done for me, the driving force that keeps me moving forward - that has me start down trepedacious paths when everything in me tells me not to, is faith in the One who calls me to start in the first place.  The apostle Paul wrote this while imprisoned for his walk of faith:

"And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns." Philippians 1:6

This is what the writer of Hebrews said:

"And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin." Hebrews 12:2-4

Back to the scripture that I started this post off with: Jesus knew full-well what He was about to go through.  Not only was He about to be ridiculed and tortured to death, He was about to have the cup of God's wrath toward sin poured out on Him.  Everything in His human body was telling Him not to do it... but He knew that He had to... and He did.  And now, because He did... and did not fail, we can too.  The things that God calls us to are possible in Him.  Now, don't get me wrong... we can't just start out on a crazy idea and hope that God will bless us in it.  But if God is truly calling you to step out and do something... to become a one-income family so that you can raise your kids well... to start a business venture that you really aren't qualified for... to care for a sick relative... to move into a crime-ridden part of the inner city to minister to homeless people... to pray for a blind man to receive his sight - If God is calling you to do it, then if you do it in His grace, He will be faithful to complete it.  You don't have to worry about failure... you just have to walk (or run) in faith.

Before we can run the race, we have to actually begin.  You can't run a marathon by just standing at the starting line.  We can do it in Him.  Let's have the faith to start.

Passing the Baton

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith..." Hebrews 12:1a

My intention was to write this post last week, but I was inturrepted by a long 6-day business trip to Orlando... so here I sit.  Relay racing was on my mind last week because last Saturday marked the conclusion of the first ever Ragnar Relay in Tennessee.  The Ragnar Relay - Tennessee is a 195.5 mile run from Chattanooga to Nashville, beginning on a Friday afternoon and ending on the following Saturday.  Teams are made up of 12 runners, each taking their turns at 3 different legs during the race.  The fastest team started out their journey at 4 PM that Friday afternoon, and finished almost 20 hours later, with an average pace of 06:09 per mile.  I don't think any one person would be able to run 195 miles at a 06:09 pace, but together, they were able.

For the past few days, my Bible reading has been in the 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews.  This chapter is what Christians refer to as the Hall of Faith.  Throughout that chapter, the author recounts some of the heros throughout the history of the Nation of Israel, saying that they lived the life they lived and did the things they did by faith: they believed in Someone and something far greater than themselves... they saw far beyond their brief time on earth and lived lives that were of eternal consequence.

You see, the Bible in some ways reads like a play-by-play of a multi-millenial relay race.  The runners of the Ragnar Relay could not see the finish line in Nashville from the starting line in Chattanooga... but they ran the race believeing that ultimately, as a team, they would reach the finish line that none of them could see and none of them could reach on their own.  For us, the beginning of our great race is described here:

"So the LORD God said to the serpent: '...And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.'" Genesis 3:15

Man and Woman had just fallen into sin.  This was God's response - His declaration of His plan of salvation for the human race and the destruction of evil.  The Hebrew word that is translated into our English word 'bruise' can actually mean different things.  It can mean to bruise, but it can also mean to crush, seize, or strike out against.  That last line of the verse could be translated like this: "He shall crush your head, and you shall strike out against His heel."  Basically God is saying to Satan the serpant, someone is coming... you will strike out against Him and wound Him... but He will crush your head.  If you take a close look, you will see something even more interesting.  God says that this savior will come from woman's seed.  If you know anything about reproductive biology, you know that women do not have seed.  They have eggs that need to be fertilized by seed.  Not only is God telling of Satan's destruction, but He is saying that the Savior of Mankind and the Destroyer of Evil will have a virgin birth.  Sound familiar?  From generation to generation over multiple millennia, this promise of good news has been passed down.  And over those millennia, men and women who have believed in the promise, have given their lives to see this promise ultimately fulfilled.  The book of Hebrews says it this way:

"How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death.


But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.


All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us." Hebrews 11:32-40

It is at this point where Hebrews moves from Chapter 11 to Chapter 12... and we see the passage that I quoted at the beginning of the post: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith..."  This huge crowd of witnesses described by the author of Hebrews is the great hall of faith - our fellow runners in this great and grand relay.  Whenever I read Hebrews 12:1, I think of this scene from "Saving Private Ryan."



An entire company of soldiers gave up their lives for the single purpose of saving Private Ryan.  At the end of the movie, Ryan wanted assurance that his life had been worth the sacrifice. Untold numbers of people have gladly given their lives for the hope of a salvation and an ending of evil once and for all... all runners... faithfully running their leg of the race as best as they were able, setting the next generation up for success as they selflessly handed off the baton.

We are now part of this great race.  We have been handed the baton. It's our time to run as all those who have gone before us watch and cheer us on.  You see, they can't reach the finish without us... and untold numbers of people who are alive today, and even those who aren't even born yet but will be alive in the years to come, are counting on us to run well... and not only run well but set the next generation up for success, that they may run and continue the promise.  I'm not just saying this to those of you who read this post.  I say this to myself as well: am I... are we running the race... are we living a life worthy of the sacrifices that have been made... worthy of the great sacrifice that God made in sending His Son to die for us... worthy of the calling that God has given us to be His ambassadors at this time in history?  And are we actively running in such a way that we can hand off the baton without a drop, and see those that come after us run the finishing legs of this race to victory?

I leave you with this song from one of my favorite bands:



Let's run this race and run it well... I dare you.