As a recreational and occasional competitive runner I gotta admit that the name of the mission drew my interest and kinda boggled my mind. “WORLD RACE“
So as a runner I am often on the look out for events/foot races to compete in so when I found the World Race mission it drew my attention. Why is it called “World Race” I wondered!?! I’ve heard of 5k’s, 10k’s, 15k marathons/half marathons, even races like 50k and farther but never a World Race and what could a mission have to do with a race?
I watch the introductory video on the home page to learn and before it was finished I had felt my heart stir knew that this was something God wanted me to get involved in but still confused as to what it was. So after investigating the site I find out its a christian mission where young christian missionary’s travel to 11 different countries over 11 months, a different country each month ministering and doing humanitarian work in what ever way is most needed and effective in each area at the time of their stay. I started the application but I still did not know why it was called the World Race but that question was constantly forgotten about and replaced with many others that were more geared towards what I needed to need to do next on the application? What do I need to do to prepare myself emotionally, spiritually, physically, mentally? Can I really do this? Where am I going to get all the funding and equipment? Who will I be when I get back? There was so many more important questions but why it was called The World Race no longer mattered.
Over the next few weeks I basically forgotten the question but then today I think God gave me the answer.
So most people think of a race and they think of rushing to do something better then everyone else to be the FASTEST. To beat everyone else involved. O.k. fair enough I guess you can look at it that way but really the thing that everyone needs to beat is the race it self. A race isn’t just about going fast in fact I would say it is more about endurance. It’s pushing through all those moments when you just want to stop and quit, to just give up go home and relax. When you feel like you cant take anymore. When every step you take feels like you couldn’t possible take another. You just want to give up.
The race is about not giving up. You can’t give in to the devil and doubt. You’ve felt the call to do this. You’ve invested time, money and energy and even if you want to push aside your own investments you’ve still got all those people you can’t let down! Some have been with you from the beginning. Before you even started your first training run. They saw you struggle, they gave you words of encouragement, have invested their time, maybe their money, their good wishes.. You cant let them down! You Gotta Keep Going!
Winning the Race isn’t just about finishing 
your fastest, doing the best you can do and not giving up. Its also about community. At ever race Ive been in there has been people from start to finish no only to cheering you on but to maybe hand you a cup of water, help you find your way though registration or maybe even shuttle you to and from the race. Then you’ve even got the other racers too who are empowering each other the whole way. There is always someone who you can look at to inspire you and its not uncommon to find a pace buddy along the way or have faster runner give you words of encouragement as they go by. We are all in this boat and we all know the struggle to push on.
