I'm Finishing the Race

The torch has been extinguished and the Olympics are over. I recently wrote about my love for the Olympics over at Her Social Network. I am NOT an athlete or even athletically inclined but I celebrate the moments when humans do great things. They make everything seem more possible -- South African runner Oscar Pistorius, anyone?In that article, I shared the story of John Stephen Akhwari. He was a Tanzanian runner in the Mexico City Olympics. After a debilitating injury halfway through the marathon, he fought through pain and completed the race. Afterwards, he famously stated, "My country did not send me 10,000 miles just to start the race; they sent me to finish the race."I heard this story as a part of a sermon and it really spoke to me. I often say that life is a marathon not a sprint. I believe that to be true but when I heard Akhwari's words, I wondered if I lived it. Am I still running? Or have I given up? Has the loss of one dream so derailed me that I am no longer in the race?It is easy in a world that celebrates youth and early accomplishment to believe that my race is done. But I'm still here so I must not be done. And God didn't send me all this way not to finish my race.So I'm finishing the race. I'm not sure where (or when) the finish line is but I'll be there. And until I reach it, I am going to run to win. I just may have two munchkins tagging along.Are you finishing your race?