Your Marathon of Life
- Your Marathon of Life
Take a moment to get yourself in a position to relax. You might close your eyes. Imagine yourself as a runner at the starting line in the marathon at Big Sur, California. The gun sounds to start the race at 7 a.m. As you begin to run you slip into your pace within a pack of runners. However, you feel you are by yourself as you hear the ocean pounding on the shore. You notice the fog drifting in and out of the coves. The shafts of light filter in and out among the gorgeous redwood trees. You are well prepared. You have trained for this moment. You are excited about this marathon, this race you have prepared so diligently to run.
As you continue to run you find yourself running alone. You are inspired to run the race of your life with steps that feel light and in sync with your pace. Soon you dive into a cove where it is foggy, almost like you can’t see around you, however, you are not dismayed or put off. You are still running comfortably. All of a sudden you feel as if you are running onto a foot path instead of the road. As you run down this path your pace continues the same and nothing changes, but you begin to notice greenery on both sides. You seem to be running through a pasture. As you are running you see something clustered down on the hillside. As you get closer you see people with dark suits. They are not in runners clothes ,so it is not runners. You run the path and get closer. It appears to be a funeral scene. People are standing around. As you get closer you recognize the faces of those attending the funeral. You look around asking, “What is this, what is happening here?” Then you see a tombstone with your name on it. You wonder what they are saying about you. It is at this point you realize that what is important is what people think of you. What kind of impact have you made on them? Have you loved them? Have you been kind and generous? Have you helped them in some way? And, how do they feel about your actions? Just as you look at the people you see tears here and there and small reminders and brief smiles. You are about to be totally absorbed in the moment when all of a sudden you feel a beckoning to turn and run back up the path away from this scene.
While running away you glance back and the people are disappearing into the fog. You then look forward and it appears you are running in shafts of light filtering between the trees. Your steps are taking you higher and higher as the path climbs until it appears you are running on the light beams. The light is growing and feeling warm and comfortable. You feel so enamored with what you see and feel that you have forgotten what is behind you. Now you press on for what is ahead. You press on through the trees and the light to a brighter and more glowing light until you feel you must be in the presence of God. Soon you realize you are in the presence of God where the warmth and glow is nothing but absolute love and acceptance. At that moment God says, “What have you done with the life that I gave you?” “How have you used the blessings that I gave you?” “How have you honored my Son with your life?” At that point you realize what you left behind. The people from your life on earth are important, but what is truly important is living, and running the race for eternal life.
This story illustrates looking at life from two perspectives. One looks at your life from the perspective of others after you have died. The other is standing before God looking at your life from the perspective of God and eternity. Reflect upon what has been important to you in your life up until this point in the race.
- Your Marathon of Life
Take a moment to get yourself in a position to relax. You might close your eyes. Imagine yourself as a runner at the starting line in the marathon at Big Sur, California. The gun sounds to start the race at 7 a.m. As you begin to run you slip into your pace within a pack of runners. However, you feel you are by yourself as you hear the ocean pounding on the shore. You notice the fog drifting in and out of the coves. The shafts of light filter in and out among the gorgeous redwood trees. You are well prepared. You have trained for this moment. You are excited about this marathon, this race you have prepared so diligently to run.
As you continue to run you find yourself running alone. You are inspired to run the race of your life with steps that feel light and in sync with your pace. Soon you dive into a cove where it is foggy, almost like you can’t see around you, however, you are not dismayed or put off. You are still running comfortably. All of a sudden you feel as if you are running onto a foot path instead of the road. As you run down this path your pace continues the same and nothing changes, but you begin to notice greenery on both sides. You seem to be running through a pasture. As you are running you see something clustered down on the hillside. As you get closer you see people with dark suits. They are not in runners clothes ,so it is not runners. You run the path and get closer. It appears to be a funeral scene. People are standing around. As you get closer you recognize the faces of those attending the funeral. You look around asking, “What is this, what is happening here?” Then you see a tombstone with your name on it. You wonder what they are saying about you. It is at this point you realize that what is important is what people think of you. What kind of impact have you made on them? Have you loved them? Have you been kind and generous? Have you helped them in some way? And, how do they feel about your actions? Just as you look at the people you see tears here and there and small reminders and brief smiles. You are about to be totally absorbed in the moment when all of a sudden you feel a beckoning to turn and run back up the path away from this scene.
While running away you glance back and the people are disappearing into the fog. You then look forward and it appears you are running in shafts of light filtering between the trees. Your steps are taking you higher and higher as the path climbs until it appears you are running on the light beams. The light is growing and feeling warm and comfortable. You feel so enamored with what you see and feel that you have forgotten what is behind you. Now you press on for what is ahead. You press on through the trees and the light to a brighter and more glowing light until you feel you must be in the presence of God. Soon you realize you are in the presence of God where the warmth and glow is nothing but absolute love and acceptance. At that moment God says, “What have you done with the life that I gave you?” “How have you used the blessings that I gave you?” “How have you honored my Son with your life?” At that point you realize what you left behind. The people from your life on earth are important, but what is truly important is living, and running the race for eternal life.
This story illustrates looking at life from two perspectives. One looks at your life from the perspective of others after you have died. The other is standing before God looking at your life from the perspective of God and eternity. Reflect upon what has been important to you in your life up until this point in the race.
