Running the Race

Bll US office secretary January 17, 2014 0 comments

Tiberias Marathon

Baptists for Israel's Dean of Students, Brad Brough (photo above), participated in the Tiberias Marathon (26.2 miles) on January 10, 2014 . The run lead him from Tiberias past Ma’agon, Tel Katzir and Ha’on. Near Kibbutz En Gev, the run turned back to finish in Tiberias.

Brad trained for this marathon for more than half a year. He started out by running four or five times a week. As raceday approached, he was physically and mentally ready to face the challenge.

The flames of excitement grew as friends and family cheered him on in person and from around the world via Facebook and the telephone. Master’s degree student, Stephanie, ran alongside Brad from Tel Katzir to Ha'on. The other two students also ran along with him at different parts of the race. Brad’s kibbutz brother also ran with him for a couple of Ks.

The race was not without its challenge as about mile 21 serious cramping in his left leg made it feel as though it locked up. He could hardly walk at this point. In most scenarios, Brad is a very easy-going, knows-what-to-do kind of guy. But this situation was off the grid of his experience. He called his wife, Jeanie, in desperate need of encouragement.

Jeanie prayed with him over the phone. Later, she called him back and told him that the whole team was praying for him. As he walked for a while, a couple of times between running, it got better. He finished in 3 hours 32 minutes in spite of his leg cramp!

Well Done, Brad!

The Scriptures liken our lives to being in a race. Brad’s marathon is a good example for us of things we need to do if we each want to finish well in our life’s race.

• Setting a goal – Begin with the end in mind...Do we desire a “Well done, good and faithful servant!” when our earthly life ends?
• Make it a challenge – When we do things that are outside our comfort zone, we get to see how the Lord shows Himself strong on our behalf. II Chron. 16:9a
• Training – The time you invest to prepare yourself is vitally important to your success.
• Share the goal with others - our friends can help us stay on track and keep us accountable
• Enlist the help of others – getting others to join you in person or in prayer can help you get to the “cutting edge”. As believers we are told in Gal 6:2 to bear one another’s burdens. One way we can feel and sense the nearness and presence of God is through other believers. It gives us the strength and courage to face the obstacles.
• Be patient and persevere – No giving up in spite of the circumstances.

“…Run with patience the race set before us.” Hebrews 12:1