The Last Stretch

It is like running the dreadful 400 meter dash or the 300 meter hurdles. Your body is pumping and working hard to continue to push the edges of your full out sprint as you round the last corner on the track. You dig deep and find energy to glide over the last few hurdles, towards the finish line in sight. As the finish line comes closer with each step, your pushing yourself to cross that line, until you finally do and victory is yours!

That is what the last month of school has been feeling like-hitting the last 100 meters. Being so close, yet so far away from the finish line. Finally, with three weeks left to go, I feel like I have finally rounded the last corner. The end is really in sight. At the beginning of senior year, you tell yourself that the end is in sight and the race to get there will go by quickly, but just like the 300 meter hurdles, once you hit that 150 meter mark-rounding that last corner-your wondering if graduation is really that close. By the time you hit the 200 meter mark, you finally can see that the finish line-and you know it is time to give it that final push to kick it in to the end.

May 15 is my victory day! The day of my last final, the day of my last college class at Northwestern College, and my last day as a high schooler. I cannot wait. Victory will be so sweet. But not quite as sweet as the victory that Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 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."

This verse is such a great reminder about the christian walk. Like a race, it is not easy. It is tough mentally, emotionally, and physcially. You have to push to keep going sometimes-through those times when we don't want to read our Bibles, pray, or listen to God. But just like a runner we have to push to receive that prize. But unlike a gold medal, our prize will not eventually disintegrate. It is eternal and everlasting! How crazy is that to think about?! Another verse that ties in with Corinthians is: Hebrews 12:1

 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

These verses really resonates with me as an athlete. I know exactly what Paul is talking about how hard it can be to do sometimes. Perseverance. Sometimes that is the hardest thing to do-the push, the drive-to keep going. But through perseverance we will complete that race and receive that sweet sweet reward!

With that in mind, I will run these last three weeks of school with perseverance, but I will not stop once I hit May 15. I will keep on running, so that I may not just receive my perishable reward-a diploma-but that I may receive my heavenly reward with Jesus Christ in heaven for all of eternity.

Until Next Time,

Miss Sass A Frass