“Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to The Son.”Running a marathon is all about two things: lightening your load and fixing your eyes on the finish line!
“…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on The Son, the author and perfecter…”
As I ran the Beijing Marathon yesterday, I was reminded of these two things. I saw runners that were weighed down by backpacks, large water bottles, and jeans, and thought, “How can they effectively run the race when they are burdened by all the extras that they think they need?”
“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize…”
I also noticed runners who did not seem to know where the finish line was. Before the race, there were runners jumping around to an intense aerobic workout, they had fixed their eyes on the spectacle. At the start, many runners sprinted ahead, only to fade within the first ten miles; they had fixed their eyes on the first couple miles. In the end, it was those who had their eyes fixed on the finish line that finished strong.
Throw your cloak aside, jump to your feet and go to The Son!
Why we are grateful this week:
1) Peter and I finished the Beijing Marathon on Sunday without injury, and we both had personal bests for a marathon!
2) The entire IECS team, along with a couple of Chinese students, came to Beijing for the weekend. We met for dinner on Saturday night, had a time of sharing, and toured the city. While Peter and I were running on Sunday, they traveled along the course to encourage us. At the end of the day we took a train back to Langfang with the Corders, and the Baoding team made it home safely.
3) On Friday afternoon, Jess Shamblee had about 9 students visit her to learn how to make pancakes. They ate and played games for a couple hours.
4) Last Monday, we were invited to the “Non-English Majors English Club.” It is called the VAN English Club, although nobody seems to know what “VAN” stands for. We had a great time; Jessie and I organized the games, while Peter, Shannon, and Jess Shamblee led the music.
Please continue to “think” about us:
1) Peter and I will be sore this week as we recover from the marathon. Most of all, we do not want our soreness and weariness to affect the way we care for our students and our team.
2) This Friday, Jessie Distad has been asked by our administration to give an Education Lecture to the Chinese faculty of the English Department.
3) Next Saturday we will be visiting the Philip Hayden Foundation with students. Wil and Courtney Corder should also be able there, and we are looking forward to spending more time with them.
He has come that we may have Life, and have it to the full,
Brad
