Tuesday, September 2, 2003
Tuesday, September 2, 2003
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
However, this young rider found himself over half-an-hour behind by the end of the day on which
he lost the lead. Likewise, he finished the race far down in the pack.
A few things in life are like a sprint, but most things are more like a marathon. The issue, then, is
not how you start but how you finish!
Many of us are good starters. We have talent, we have enthusiasm, we start off with a burst of
well-doing. But sustaining that beginning--that is the problem. That's true in our commitment to
Christ, to our marriage partner, in our work and in a host of other endeavors. How are we at
finishing?
(2
Timothy 4.7
NRSV)
In the 1990 Tour de Trump, an eleven-day bike race, a little-known Soviet amateur held the lead
for seven days. He took the lead on day three and did not relinquish it to any of the more
experienced professional riders until the next-to-last day. At one point, he had a 12-minute
advantage over the next closest rider.
God of starters and finishers, help me to be good for the long haul in my commitments. Amen.
