Both Life and Ministry are a Marathon, Not a Sprint

In a few hours I am going to be running my first 18 mile run with Pastor Larry. When I actually think about that…it’s insane!

As you know I’m training for the Chicago Marathon on October 12th, 2008. As of today that is 49 days away! We’ve been training since March, so it has been quite the journey and I am pumped about it!

This is going to be my third installment of lessons I’m learning while training for the Marathon. I just want to focus on one thing I’ve been learning in life and ministry and that is: Life and Ministry are a Marathon, not a Sprint. Here are just a few thoughts concerning this:

• So many times we want to be in a season we’re not ready for or equipped for yet

• The best thing about the future is that it happens one day at a time, so if I can just handle today right, my tomorrow’s will turn out how I want them to.

• Tomorrow is the scorecard on how you handled today

• The Secret of my success is always found in my daily agenda

I guess what I’m learning is that I can only do so much in a single day. There will always be more I could do, there will always be more work, and if I don’t see the big picture I’ll get buried and miss out on so much of what life is really has to offer. However, if I do the best I can each day with the time I have, when the day I’ve been waiting for comes, I’ll be ready.

As Abraham Lincoln once said, “I will prepare, and one day my chance will come.”

As most of you know I’m training for the Chicago Marathon in October with Pastor Larry. It’s been an amazing experience so far. I’ve run nearly 300 miles since March! Insane! Anyway… I said I’d keep you posted with some lessons I’m learning along the way.

• Both life and success are both a marathon as well as a journey, not a sprint or a destination.
  

• Motivation to do anything in life will never strike you like lightning… just do it and the motivation will come.
  

• In training for a marathon, I’ve realized that the 6-7 months you spend training, no one is there patting you on the back for all your hard work or pushing you to run harder. It is often the same in life and ministry… they can both be “thankless” jobs, but that is why we find our worth and affirmation in God!

Just some thoughts…. learning so much… I’ll have a volume of sermons after October!!