Finnish Well. That’s something I am having to remind myself of over and over again in these last couple of months. It’s hard. Much harder then I ever expected. Thankfully I have had some great encouragement by many of you that has really helped out in this last stretch.
I’ve been taking Eric Liddel as my example in these last months. If you haven’t heard of him the movie Chariots of Fire might ring a bell. Known most of all for winning a 400 meter dash after falling in the first 100, a feat aptly described as miraculous, and also for refusing to participate in his best events in the 1924 Olympics because they took place on sunday it was really only the start of Erics race. He soon retired from running to be a missionary in China after winning 2 gold medals in the Olympics. He stayed as a missionary there throughout WWII and eventually died in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. But through all of those changes. In the midst of all of that hardship, he kept his eye on the finish line, never looking at one moment of success as ‘good enough’. He gave every moment everything he had. I want to follow that example.
My race is coming to an end in a month. But somehow I am able to gain strength from knowing this is only the start of the race for me.
I go home in a month, but going home just means month 12 of the race as we like to put it. Nothing else changes. It’s a new contact, a new home, new food (which I am highly looking forward to) but the contact is still the same.
I want to finish like Liddel, with my arms waiving and head reared back giving this last month everything I got. Will you help me do it? Will you do it with me?
BEARDED DISCIPLE 