Awesome as the race was, what I'll remember most is actually a brief announcement I overheard during the Pikes Peak Marathon the following day. That announcement took only five seconds but it clarified for me what "endurance" really means and how the emerging generation might be inspired to pursue it.
Running Your Entire Life
One look at the Pikes Peak Marathon website makes one wonder why anyone would ever sign up for the race:
The Pikes Peak Ascent and Pikes Peak Marathon will redefine what you call running. Sure, they start out like a lot of races on Any Street, USA. But your first left turn will have you turning in the direction of up! During the next 10 miles, as you gain almost 6,000 vertical feet, your legs, lungs, heart and mind will be worn to a ragged nothingness. But it won't be until your last three miles, with still over 2,000' of vertical to go, that you will realize where the Marathon got its moniker-America's Ultimate Challenge.
There's a reason trees don't bother growing above 12,000' on Pikes Peak. They can't! Makes one wonder if trees are smarter than runners. Above treeline most runners take 30 minutes or more, some much more, just to cover a mile. What little air remains can't satisfy the endless stream of zombies hoping only to survive their next step-a death march right out of a scene from Dawn of the Dead. Adding insult to injury, it might start to snow!
And yet 1712 people completed the Ascent on Saturday and 689 people completed the Marathon on Sunday. Believe it or not, 111 people were "doublers," completing both races. Imagine that--nearly 40 miles of extreme trail running in the space of 36 hours.
Anyway, I felt pretty good about my race decided to relax on the front porch of the house where we stay in Manitou Springs during the summer. The finish line for the marathon was about 100 yards down the hill, so I could hear the announcer read the numbers and names of those who crossed the finish line.
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| Keith Wood, Age 81, finishing the Pikes Peak Ascent |
I snapped to attention when I heard the following: "And coming across the finish line now is Keith Wood, eighty-one-years-young. And he's a doubler!"
"Absolutely incredible," I thought. "At age 81 this guy ran the same race I ran yesterday plus the marathon today!"
But that's not all. I grabbed my computer to look up the previous day's results and discovered that even though Keith Wood is nearly twice my age, he finished the Ascent only 20 minutes behind me.
And there's more. Next to Keith's name was a time of 4 hours, 44 minutes, with the notation "New course record for age group." I quickly scanned the page and found the old course record--set in 2009 by, you guessed it, Keith Wood, 4 hours, 51 minutes.
So not only is Keith Wood, age 81, a marathoner, he's an ultra-marathoner. And he's not just dialing in his performances; he's getting better. Clearly Wood believes that the key to a successful life is to run, literally, all the way to the finish line.
Yet Spiritually, You Can't Endure to the End in Your Own Power
I've never met Keith Wood, but based on his example I am now inspired to sign up for the Pikes Peak Ascent again next year and possibly even the full Marathon. Keith made me realize that I am capable of much more than I imagined. What I need is not more energy or creativity--what I need is a stronger spirit of endurance.
There are many areas of life in which inspiring examples of perseverance to help me see that what I think is impossible is actually possible. But in a spiritual sense, natural examples of perseverance aren't enough because what Christians are called to do is not natural.
Essentially, the Christian life is a set of firm convictions, each of which utterly transcends the natural realm:
· God is who He says He is and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6)
· Jesus' command to disciple the nations is to be taken seriously (Matthew 28:18-20)
· God's plan is for us to endure in spreading the gospel (2 Timothy 2:1-13)
· The gospel is the good news of God's plan to bless the nations of the earth through us (Galatians 3:6-9).
Christians recognize that this is impossible, even with inspiring examples to point the way. The endurance needed to accomplish these tasks is supernatural in origin--it happens only through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Powerful Spiritual Weapons to Battle the Forces Attacking Young Adults
The emerging generation needs to understand that endurance is not rooted in a compelling vision/mission statement, or a well-defined goal, or a spiffy resume, or flawless communication skills. All of these things have merit, but aimlessness is first and foremost a spiritual problem, not a logistical problem.
Christians must clearly understand what John Piper articulates in The Roots of Endurance:
Our fight and our race and endurance is a radically God-centered, Christ-exalting, Spirit-dependent, promise-supported life. It is not a 'just do it' ethic. It is not a moral self-improvement program.... It is a deeply cross-embracing life that knows the Christ of the Bible as the Son of God who was crucified first as our substitute and then as our model of endurance. (p. 29)
If you're concerned about those who are having a hard time getting a sense of direction, consider engaging spiritually on their behalf through prayer, as the Apostle Paul did for his disciples:
· Pray that the Holy Spirit will help them in their weakness (Romans 8:26, Ephesians 3:16)
· Pray that they will not do what is wrong, but will do what is right (2 Corinthians 13:7)
· Pray that the eyes of their heart will be enlightened (Ephesians 1:18)
· Pray a prayer of thanksgiving for them (2 Timothy 1:3)
· Pray that they may increase in knowledge and depth of insight (Philippians 1:9, Colossians 1:9)
· Pray that they will be able to avoid anxiety but turn their concerns over to God in prayer (Philippians 4:6)
· Pray that they will live a life worthy of the calling they have received (Ephesians 4:1)
· Pray that God will fulfill their every good purpose and that the name of the Lord Jesus may be glorified in them (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12)
· Pray that they will be active in sharing their faith (Philemon 1:6)
If the problem is spiritual, then only spiritual weapons can fight it. So keep praying. As John Bunyan said, "Pray often; for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan."
