Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV)
1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great
a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so
easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before
us,
We are all in a race of life. Here on this earth we are
born and we die. God has given us a purpose in life and we are to carry out
that purpose until the finish line of life. In accomplishing God’s purpose we
are to lay aside the sins that ensnare us and the temptations that weight heavy
on our hearts.
In 1994 I ran the NYC marathon, all 26.2 miles of it. I
wasn’t a fast runner, but my goal was to finish. It took 5 hours and 10
minutes, but I crossed the finish line. There waiting was a crowd cheering and
supporter helping with food, water and other needs.
Zoe Koplowitz is a marathon runner who is afflicted with
multiple sclerosis and diabetes. She is speaker and author of The Winning
Spirit – Life lessons learned in last place. Her 33-hour-9-minute run in 2000
set a world record for the longest marathon time in the history of women's
running. "The race belongs not only to the swift and strong but to those
who keep on running", says Koplowitz.
At the conclusion of her 25th New York City Marathon on
November 4, 2013 Zoe addressed the crowd which had gathered to see and cheer
her finish. "It makes you understand that life is not happen stance or
random all the time. That there is a plan, and it's a good plan. When we do
things like the marathon, we get an opportunity to see how the pieces fit, and
life no longer becomes this random series of crazy events. There was a lovely
young woman with multiple sclerosis who waited hours in the street for me to
come by. On one side of her sign she had my name in big bold letters. On the
other side of her sign, she had something that reduced me to tears. It said
'Because you run every year, the rest of us continue to walk.'
Koplowitz says she has done 25 of these, and it never
grows old. There is life after disability. You can either go through life like
this [arms closed], or you can go through life like that [arms open]. And for
me, New York City is that. It's arms out reaching for possibility and hope
every single year. I love this city. I love its strength, I love its diversity,
I love its personality, and thank God it loves me back because I wouldn't know
what to do if it was a one-sided love."
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