The Finish

With the end of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China there are some great stories and illustrations that will be shared for years to come. Not having an ounce of athleticism in me I am awe struck with what the human body and spirit can endure and accomplish. But I am often more amazed at the depth of heart in the stories behind the events.

I’m reaching back to a very special year in our lives when our daughter was born and the Detroit Tigers won the World Series. The 1968 Olympic Games were in Mexico City and John Stephen Ahkwari of Tanzania was one very excited marathon runner.

The starter’s pistol fired and the race began. A little over 2 hours later, the first runner crossed the finish line. Other runners finished the race shortly afterwards, but John was not among them. Over an hour after the winner had crossed the finish line, with only a few spectators remaining in the stands, John Stephen Ahkwari finally entered the stadium.

Bandaged and bloody, John finally crossed the finish line. A sports reporter, asked John why he didn't just quit. He answered, "My country did not send me 5000 miles to Mexico City to start the race. They sent me here to finish."

A pearl to string: John Stephen Akhwari did not receive a prize or a medal, but he did endure. He didn't just start the race, he finished it. Sometimes being a Christian feels like a race but God didn’t just call us to start the Christian race, He called us to finish it! When it’s all said and done I want to be able to say just what it says in 2 Timothy 4:7 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." And then I want to hear the words spoken in Matthew 25:21; "Well done good and faithful servant…… come share your master’s happiness".



May His presence light your way,
Lyndi