Vanity, Vanity...All is Vanity! Even Running

"Vanity, vanity...all is vanity!"  Ecclesiastes 1:2

You're So Vain

I can see why the Apostle Paul used running as a metaphor in his letters. There are so many life lessons in running!



Back in 2008, when I trained for my first marathon, I realized something for the first time.

Running is vain.

And when I came to this realization...the Lord did something amazing.

He showed me that 1 Corinthians 10:31 is TRUTH.

"So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."  

And he brought a good friend's daughter into my life. She was diagnosed with a rare disease and needed money for treatment. The Lord decided to use the marathon run as a fundraiser for this little girl's family.

And that's when I realized that even in running we must do all to the glory of God.

That's Why I Run

I had a chance to run a short race this weekend to help raise money for cancer research. This research was to fight children's cancer.

My cousin joined in the fun and ran her first 5K race!

It was about 37 degrees out that morning, too. I started to complain about the cold and wind, but then I saw the little boy selected to start the race for us.

He is in the middle of a fight for his life. He is being treated for leukemia.  He is nine years old.

How can I complain about a little cold weather in the midst of such a hero? Running in a little rain is nothing compared to what this little boy faces everyday.

So, on the way home I explained to my cousin that I only participate in races that help raise money or provide support for those in need.

Why?

Because otherwise it's all in vain.

Finish the Race

To tell you the truth, in the middle of a marathon I start to think about quitting. It starts to seriously hurt...I mean HURT...around mile 19 for me. But I can ignore it until mile 23. Some can run 100 miles, but 26.2 is it for me, so far.

So, if I was running the race just to say "Look at me! I finished" or just to received a medal or just to be able to post on Facebook that I did it, well, I would have quit running at mile 23 and went home!

But at around mile 20-23 I picture the faces of kids I know who are battling cancer and rare diseases. Kids like Katie Wagner or Hana Boscarino.

And when I think about what these kids endure...some of the most painful chemotherapy treatments known...how can I quit a race I volunteered to run?

No, these kids make me run faster. They keep me in the race and make the pain worth it knowing that these races raise money in order to help find a cure and provide treatments for these kids.

Never Quit

I run for a cause. No cause, no motivation!

The Lord gave me the ability to run and now I try to do it all to the glory of God.

I'm not the fastest runner, I'm not the most accomplished, but I have learned to do it when I don't want to and to endure to the end when everything in me says quit.

Running...like all things...is vanity.

But that doesn't mean it can't be used to the glory of God!

So keep running!


Blessings,
Ruth