My Father was a runner.

When he left the business world to pursue The Calling placed on his life, he would take my two brothers and I to the track at Rosemont Junior High School.

He ran, my younger brother ran behind him, my youngest brother chased them and I shot basketball and ran  once in awhile.

From the court I learned a bit about running.

I saw my Father sprint only toward the conclusion of his runs.

The beginning and middle of his runs were at a moderate pace. At first he was slowly warming up, then he would get into a normal stride which he would remain in for most of his run. Only toward the finish he had determined for that day, would he pick it up into a sprint and run with every ounce of effort through the finish.

From the court where I would shoot, I saw this many times.

It’s really the opposite of how many lives are spent.

Most people sprint through the beginning, get tired, slow down and coast into the end.

If you look at the life of Jesus, His Sprint was after thirty years of moderately gaining momentum. Even during his Three Year Ministry, He began slowly by choosing His People, training them, showing them glimpses of His Power.

His real Sprint began by raising Lazarus, going to the Temple and kicking the “money-changers” out before coming into Jerusalem the few days before His Crucifixion.

Run with Patience the Race set before You…..

prepare for all of the Race, and be strong enough for The Sprint.

Jesus did. 

He knew His Task when He taught in the Synagogue, at 12.  Knowing His Eventuality, He remained as a young boy, grew into His Father’s business in two ways…as a carpenter fashioning wood and then as a carpenter building men and a Kingdom.

Knowing His Reason for being here, He ran with patience. He knew the Course set before Him.

You only run a sprint when the finish line is in plain sight. A 100 yard dash is called just that because the finish line is such a short distance away.

Longer races require endurance, pacing, having a gait and pace which is sustainable for the distance….then, as all trained distance runners do, when the end line is in sight…the Sprint begins.

Let us not be slouching and out of energy as we run toward the end line in the race of life.

Being that my Father walked into his Calling at 37 ….and went to Heaven at 55…

his pace picked up and was purposed those last 18 years…and he sprinted toward the finish.

I want to sprint through that end line.

Now, I am in that sustainable gaited, everyday pace.

But I know the race I am in.

There is more distance to cover.

However…I know I am closer to the finish than the beginning.

My goal is to sprint at, toward,

and through the finish.

Train yourself for the race you are in. 

Be prepared for the distance you have left to cover.

Run this race properly.

Get prepared to sprint through the end ….

wherever that may be.

Like my Father was when he took us with him to run those many years ago in Ft. Worth….

The Author and Finisher of The Real Race can and will  be your model, coach, mentor and cheerleader.

Run….and prepare to SPRINT.

Terry                                                                             May 2016