Below the Surface

You reach a point in some races when the hard work and talent simply isn't enough to get you to the finish within your desired time. Such was the case Thanksgiving Day, at the 75th running of The Manchester Road race. I found myself perilously close to missing my sub 30 minute goal, somewhere about mile four with less than a mile to go recognizing I needed to cover the last 3/4 of a mile in less than 4:30. I was running as hard as I could, but I was feeling every bit of my recent NYC Marathon finish two weeks earlier and my advancing age. A battle in my mind ensued between the part of me which rationalizes and the part of me which will never give in. This debate usually lasts just a few seconds but in the end I typically decide to dig deeper, attempting to summon that extra gear while pushing past the physical pain and literally willing myself to the finish. As I move past fellow runners, I know that they can see the physical attributes which have served me well to that point, but they can't see my heart which will carry me home. With equal talent, training, and experience, the great differentiator is always what lies below the surface.

What lies below your surface? Where do you go when the storms in your life cause you to question your willingness or ability to go on, to persevere, to keep the faith and to see it through to the finish? When your intelligence, experience, or support systems simply aren't enough to weather the challenges before you? There must be something below your surface, in your core, a reserve from which you can draw. God has promised that He will never leave us stranded or on our own; He's given us the Holy Spirit to be His special presence in our lives. It's that "go to" presence when our world is crashing down around us and we are tempted to rationalize or compromise our finish. With God on our side and faith as our foundation, our finish never has to be in doubt. While others can't physically see the Holy Spirit inside us, they'll bear witness to the strength we exhibit and the example we live out as we stand strong in the face of adversity. They will see that we kept the faith and never stopped Believing.

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world" - John 16:33