Tag: Marathon

Keep Running

I ran my first marathon back in 2004. A year after having a tumor removed from my chest. I ran my last marathon in 2009. I did not stop running because I stopped loving it. No, my declining health made that decision for me. But even though I was forced to stop running physically, I have never stopped running the race God has mapped out for me. None of us should ever stop running.

A marathon is 26.2 miles. Did you get that .2? The race does not stop at 26 miles. If a runner stops at 26 miles they did not finish the race. A race only ends after you complete the whole 26.2 miles. During those long training days and the 26.2 mile race, a lot of lessons are learned. Not just about running, but about life. Let me share just a few.

The Race Is Longer Than You Think. Life is not a sprint; it’s a marathon.  Remember the .2 of the 26.2 marathon? If we do not finish the .2, we have not completed the race. We cannot stop at mile 26. The marathon of life does not stop at 26 miles either. Life is a series of .2 miles. Our race does not end until God calls us home.

Don’t Take Shortcuts. When I was training for my marathons, it would have been easy to take some shortcuts. Take the short way home. Take something to help me on those tough days. Add some extra miles to my running log. The temptation is real to take some shortcuts or worse; to give up. We face those same temptations in life:

Your marriage is not going the way you hoped it would. You might be tempted to start the race over with some else. 

Your job is not going the way you had hoped. The temptation to just quit and start over is real. 

Your life is not going the way you hoped. Giving up seems so tempting. Please don’t do it. 

As we are running this marathon called life, sometimes we feel the best answer is to quit and start over. But a new race brings its own struggles and heartache.

During those times we want to take a shortcut, start a new race or to quit, we have to turn to God and seek His guidance. We must allow God to get us back on track. To give us  a new mindset.

Keep Running Until You Finish The Race. We can only finish the race, if we are running the race. So get off that couch and take the first step to your purpose in life. The marathon will not always be easy. I can promise you that. On those days, make the choice to take small steps.

A lot of people never see the awesome power of God because they refuse to hang in there on those tough runs. Giving up is easier.

As you run the race God has given you, I encourage you not to forget those .2’s. They might seem annoying, but those .2’s are a must in completing your marathon. So keep running. ~OC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Run Your Race

I remember my first marathon. I was ready. I had done the training. I was prepared. I had beat cancer. I was going to own that 26.2 miles. Then on the day of the race, I made a major tactical error. I tried running somebody else’s race.

As the runners lined up for the race, I decided to make my way to the front of the line and run with the Kenyans. The elite runners. I was ready to run with the best. Well, you can probably figure out what happened next. I started out at a pace that I had never run before. Those elite runners left me in the dust. By mile one, I was exhausted. Had I blown my chance at completing my first marathon because I decided to run somebody else’s race?

How many times in life have we tried to run a race that was not designed for us? I know I have on many occasions. And just like that marathon, running somebody else’s race can leave you exhausted. Burnt out. That’s because God designed a specific race just for us. He designed that race at a pace we could handle and be successful.

Like my marathon experience, we decide we like the race the person next to us is running. Their race seems more smoother than our race. Their pace is quicker than our pace. They seem to have it all together. Their race seems so much more exciting than our race. I want that race. Of course, we fail to realize what it took for that person to get to their race. The struggles. The disappointments. The training. The pain. No, all we see are the results of those struggles and we decide that is the race for us.

How many of us are running a race that was never designed for us? Don’t be afraid to raise your hand. We have all been there. It’s exhausting isn’t it? Today I want to encourage each of us to run our own race. The one God specifically designed for each of us. The race He has helped train us for. Maybe it’s not as smooth as we would like. Maybe it’s filled with a lot of hills and bumpy roads. That’s okay. Because through each of those struggles, God is growing us into the person He desires us to be. Guiding us to a victorious finish line.

I am happy to say, I completed my first marathon after that rocky start. After trying to run with the elite runners at the beginning, I recovered and started running the race I had been training for. It was at a much slower pace, but it was the pace designed for me to be successful. I was running my race. ~OC

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Speaking Tour

Hello. Since my wife Laura and I had our book The Blessed Overcomer published this past March, we have been blessed with several opportunities to share our story with an audience. Those engagements have been amazing. We love interacting with an audience. So, we are looking at putting together a Speaking Tour. Laura and I would be honored to share our crazy beautiful journey with your church, schools/university, business or small groups. Did I leave anyone out?

Okay, let me be honest here. Based on Laura’s work schedule, a lot of times you would just get me. I know, I can sense the disappointment. I love sharing our story together and audiences love Laura. Laura has assured me I would be okay flying solo at some of these events. She reminded me, I used to speak to large groups before we wrote our book. Laura has never led me wrong, so I will trust her belief in me.

So, if you or your organization is looking to hear a story about overcoming, endurance, faith and never giving up, feel free to contact us. I have attached a link to a short video of my story, a dear friend created for me. ~OC

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