The Greatest Race.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,…

This has been my favorite Bible verse for as long as I can remember.  I love to run, and I love to race, and every time I do either, I remember those words.  I love the metaphor God has given us, because life is like a race, and God wants us to “run” it without sin weighing us down and with an unrelenting faith in Him. 

I hope and pray that my children will be able to that, as well.  It is no easy task, but it is certainly attainable with God’s help.  So, when my boys showed a recent interest in running, I was elated because I know this verse will have an extra special meaning for them, as it would to any Christian runner.

So, with the proudest heart a parent could have, this past weekend I watched my boys follow in my footsteps and run their first race.   Running has played a role in my life from the moment I race my first cross country race in high school, and it has now crossed over into their lives.  When they told me they wanted to run, I think my heart skipped a beat and jumped right up into my throat.

So, we registered them for a 1/4 mile race for kids 5 and under that was part of a family running festival.    Now get ready, friends, because there are a lot of pictures in this post.  Really, though, it’s nothing compared to the actual number of pictures I took!

Of course, you know my little darlings had to, first of all,  look the part with matching Under Armour shirts.

Then there are their racing numbers (placed on the back, of course, so that all of the other runners could see them… get it… they’d be the first ones in the pack… hehehe).  I know, I’m probably going to be one of those crazy sports moms, but, hey, aren’t we all?

My boys… one serious, and one sweet.

They’re on the line.

And they’re off!  Look at their smiling faces.  They are so excited to be running their inaugural race.

I could cry right now as I look at this picture of my younger son running with perseverance.  He has such a desire to succeed!

They each received a medal,

And wore them proudly… for a moment.

Then they hung them in a tree and played with them the rest of the time. 

It is about the race, rather than the award.

We finished the evening off with the dinner of champions, Subway!  Maybe one day my boys will be competing for their country in their sport of choice (running, I hope), and Subway will sponsor them.  Hey, a mom can dream, right?

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