I am going to tell you one more highlight of my “100 meter race” with the Iowa Games this summer held in Ames.

As most of you know who read Karen’s Korners regularly, I decided to enter for the first competitive race in my life, as a new 60-year-old in the “old people’s category”.

I didn’t know until I got there that I was only woman in the race in that age bracket. So I knew providing I didn’t fall off the track or complete the race, I would win the Gold Medal.

But people do not run races alone. They are paired up with others to run their races. The timers sort out winners based on times.

I was paired with three gals who were in the 45 – 49 year old bracket. There were no entries in the 50 – 54 age group. Two in the 55 – 59 year old category.  And then me.

I stood at the starting line, hoping not to make too big of fool out of myself. Watching as everyone else but me (lane #1) and one of the two in the 55 – 59 age bracket (lane #2) get ready to use their starting blocks. I couldn’t use starting blocks. I wouldn’t know how.

How was a going to concentrate and make my mind sort of settle down and focus on something. I listened to God’s suggestion in my mind, “I will just keep saying, ‘thank you, Jesus!’ as I ran.

The gun sounded and off we all ran.

“Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, Jesus!” I thought as I ran.

Out the side of my eye, I noticed the younger gals running quickly ahead of me. I noticed the gal in lane #2, I was already ahead of her. I noticed that I was beginning to catch up with, and run ahead of the other ’older’ gal, who had started quicker out of the starting blocks.

I gave up thinking, “Thank you, Jesus!”

Now I was beginning to think, “Wow! I must be pretty good!”

When the short race was completed, I had no idea of any of our times. I had never been clocked before. As I checked the final status, I noticed that I had indeed run faster than the gal in lane #2, but the other “older gal” and I had exactly the same times.

“Hmm, how could that be?” I thought. “I know I was ahead of her.”

And then I knew:  not only did I not know how to start, I also did not know how to finish. I was slowing down some before the race was completely over.

Jim said to me, “You are going to need to learn how to run through.”

Of course that makes sense. I am sure that I hadn’t done it in the race, nor had I been ‘running through’ as I practiced.

I thought about me and other Christians. Do we start out running the races of our lives pretty well?

I was doing pretty well when I thought of, and kept my eyes on, Jesus. But when I started to look around and compare myself with other people, I started to lose my focus.

And what about finishing our lives? Are we going to finish strong? And run through?

I am sure there is someone who is reading this that is thinking, “My health doesn’t allow me to run any longer. I am well into my senior years now and there isn’t as much that I can do any more.”

But are you running through to the finish line? Are we complaining about our lot in life? And that it isn’t turning out like we like? Or are we like a friend, who has a new medical diagnosis, but says, “I am so happy that I have had 75 years of good health”?

Running through.

Do you praise God for your life and what happens to you…..even if there isn’t enough money or everyone in your family isn’t behaving like you’d like.

Running through.