Running a Race

Saturday, November 13, 2021

Ever start a project that becomes much bigger and more difficult than you imagined? I just finished a project mom and I were working on, a quilt. Key word; finished. There were many times when I wasn’t sure I even wanted to finish it. What possessed me when I actually agreed to make my own quilt? The idea of mom and I making our own Thanksgiving lap quilts sounded great, though very detailed. I have helped mom make quilts and things before. She even helped me make a simple lap quilt out of my mom’s old flannel pjs. I threw in some of mine as well and had a great memory quilt. Mom Dekle did most of the sewing for that though. That wasn’t the plan for this quilt. I would do the majority of the sewing and work.

I must admit, some of it was fun, even some of the hard parts. It was the parts I thought should be easier that threw me for a loop and frustrated me to no end. There were times I really wanted to walk away from that project. You know, making the quilt is a lot like life.

Life is not easy. There are many frustrations and difficulties that cross our path. What do we do when we face those difficulties?

Tim and I have discovered a park not far from mom and dad’s house where we can ride our bikes. There is a four-and-a-half-mile hike we decided to check out the other day. It was a beautiful trail in the woods along the Tennessee river with benches to sit and look out on the Bay. We did stop and enjoy the scenery several times. As beautiful as the trail was, there were obstacles, lots of them along the way. Now if we were on foot, the path wouldn’t have been so treacherous, but the tree roots were a real challenge for bike riding.

You may think I am getting off track here, but there is a purpose for this story.

At one point I fell, and I fell hard. When you fall, you do one of two things: get back up or ask for help. The bike was too heavy for me to lift and I was in pain so I chose the latter. Tim heard my cry for help and rescued me out of the tangle I was in. We were both very grateful to God there were no broken bones, just bruised ones. The important thing is, I got back up. There were times I had to walk the bike over the roots they were so bad, but we finished the trail and even talk of doing it again.

The Apostle Paul says that life is like a race. Furthermore, he goes on to say in 1Corinthians 9:24-27,“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” 

In Junior High School I started running cross country. It was hard work but I kept at it. My first race is forever implanted in my mind. Other girls were passing me up right and left and I was getting more and more discouraged so I quit in the middle of the race. Without finishing, I walked back and used the excuse about having such side pains I couldn’t go on. It was true, I had side pains which had slowed me down, but I allowed those pains to defeat me and keep me from going over the finish line. To this day I regret that decision to not finish the race. It gave me a determination to do better and not quit. I never became a fantastic runner, winning medals, but I always finished the race.

Whether it’s a quilt, a trail, work, family, or life in general, there will always be difficulties and struggles. Sometimes it’s easy to get tired of it all. Isaiah 40:31 encourages us with these words: “but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”  The key is waiting on the Lord! With His help, and that of my dear mother-in-law, I was able to finish my quilt. I am so glad I did! Through it I have gained an even great appreciation for all the hard work mom puts into her beautiful quilts.

Thank you, mom D, for helping me make something beautiful and through it, reminding me of some very important life lessons.

Blessings, mari