As a graphic designer and illustrator with a home-based business, I work my own hours and 12 am to 2 am are my favorites. This means that when anyone tries to call or text before 10 am, they usually won’t get a response until much later. You can count on family to have some fun with such a seemingly lazy schedule. That’s why at Christmas dinner 2007, when I mentioned that I was thinking about running a marathon, my brother laughed and said “You can’t do that. You’d have to get up in the morning!” Everyone laughed…and the challenge was ON.

It had been 18 years since I ran back in high school. From time to time in those 18 years, I’d tried to start running again but, after about two weeks of running too hard, I’d get crippling knee pain along with a terrible cold and would give it up. I wanted to run, but was making mistakes.

This time was different because I found a running plan for a beginner and set a goal to finish a full marathon. The initial plan started very slow where you run a minute and walk two minutes until you travel a mile. After about 5 months, this plan got me to run 18 miles which was incredible considering my earlier attempts at running. However due to reoccurring knee pain, I wasn’t able to finish a marathon that year. Or the year after or the year after that. It wasn’t until 2011, three and a half years later, when I finally completed that first 26.2 miles without major pain. What kept me going? The goal. (And perhaps that Christmas heckling from the family). Four marathons later and I’m still thrilled and grateful!

In the same way a physical goal can motivate you to greater feats, a spiritual goal can inspire you to a stronger faith. Does it sound exciting to start a Bible study, adopt a child, work on the mission field, or help feed the hungry? Setting goals like these may sound very different than a physical goal where there is a set plan and some science behind the pain and nutrition. However, it took time and research to figure out how to run without knee pain. There were years of trial and error with different physicians and physical therapy but I eventually found a sport chiropractor and his team who worked on the tight muscles on the side of my leg (ART therapy) so my knee could move freely. He also prescribed Therastem, yoga, and an anti-inflammatory diet which helped tremendously as well. Wish I’d found them earlier in my marathon pursuits but am glad I kept searching. It’s the same with a spiritual goal. It will take dedication and effort and if the plan doesn’t work out at first, keep your focus on the goal and don’t give up.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NASB)

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

REDEEMING NOTE: At my first marathon, my brother brought his trumpet and played the Rocky theme song around mile 10. That was cool.