To Finish Last

A few years back I participated in my first ever marathon.

There are many reasons why anyone would participate in a marathon, it could be to raise money, others just the love of running, or could be the coming together of people. Either way, there I was early in the morning getting my number pinned on my shirt. Everyone gets close to the start line and they kick off the run. Everyone starts running forward like a stampede.

There is excitement in the first mile, things begin to quiet down by the 5th mile. Some people drop off, others keep running strong and steady. The people running the race get really scarce around the 10th mile. Legs begin to feel like noodles and the stitch in the side of the belly is unforgettable. Come the 20th mile I remember wondering if I was the only one still running.

Despite the agony and a quiet desire to just stop… I kept running. To my amazement as I approached the finish line, there were people cheering me on. There cheers gave me renewed strength, I crossed the finish line and thought to myself, “Wow, I did it!”

I was not the last person in that race and the experience will forever stay with me as an incredible mark of will-power and persistence.

It seems that the world admires and rewards those who finish first, it even encourages it. We see this in great athletes, through their hard work and determination we enjoy their success. It takes tremendous courage to be a champion.

It takes a whole different kind of courage to run in a race when you know you won’t be first, as a matter of fact you know the odds are stacked against you and you might finish last. It takes a whole different kind of courage to finish last.

The race that I speak of is not necessarily a marathon, but more so the race of life.

This courage is exactly what life seems to require of us: the courage to run, the courage to keep running, and the courage to finish no matter where you “place.”

It takes courage to accept challenges in life, especially when they involve doing things we know we’re not good at or things that we are new at. It takes courage keep things together when finances are tight. It takes courage to be a single parent. It takes courage to keep going in spite of our health and handicaps. It takes courage to keep going when there is friction in relationships.

So, where do we get the courage to keep running? Perhaps from seeing others do things. How about from our own experience. We even find the courage to keep moving from the kind words and gestures of others.

Most of all courage comes from Faith. We can have and find faith in a lot of things; in people and things.
Faith allows us to have the courage to keep running no matter the race we run nor the place we finish.

Daisy Says: To finish last is to completely live.