It is so good to serve a God who makes the impossible, possible for His children. He loves giving us impossible dreams and than fulfilling them because when He does, He gets all the glory. I can’t do the impossible but God can do the impossible through me.
Three weeks ago, I was praying about the impossible when I had this converstation with God:
Jason – “Father, I wish I could run that 1/2 marathon in a few weeks in Cambodia. I should have been training the last few months.”
God – “Go for it Jason, let’s run it together.”
Jason – “Say what?!?! God, I am not sure if you have been paying attention but I’ve been doing a bit of running the last few days and I am struggling to run for 15 min, let alone 13 miles.”
God – “Ya, but you are running on your own strength, you need to make the run about Me.”
So with only a few weeks before the marathon I started running. But day after day I was struggling to run for more than 15 min. Then Zach, my team mate and fellow marathon runner, told me to try praying while I ran. Seemed worth a try. I ran 5 miles without a problem! The next day I ran 10 miles!! Over the next week I run a few more 5’s and one more 10. I made my run about God and I didn’t have a problem. His strength was doing all the work.
Jason – “God I am so excited. Let’s run this race for Your glory. Hey could we run the full? The half seems too easy.”
God – “Sure! Let’s do the full 26 miles.”
Jason – “Sweet! I am pumped!”
My fellow Marathon runners and I went to register for the race but it is closed for registration. Long story short, God gets us registered for the race less than 8 hours before it starts.
The first 21k were a breeze. Just me and God running the race. I ran the half in about 2 hours, which I thought was decent for my first attempt at a road race. I was feeling good; I figured I would blow this marathon open by finishing in a little over 4 hours. Then God did an amazing thing…He let me hit a wall.
By the time I got to the 25k mark my legs and feet were cramping like crazy and I was in a lot of pain. I began to question if I had actually heard God’s voice. Was I really suppose to run this marathon? I didn’t train at all for this thing, what was I thinking?
Jason – “God, aren’t you suppose to run this race for me, why are you letting me go through this pain and struggle?”
God – “Why should I make this easy? Don’t you want to grow?”
For the next 5k I ran in the worst pain I have ever felt. By this time the spiritual battle was in high gear. I was dealing with doubt, disappointment, regret, unbelief, and failure. The enemy was throwing everything he had at me. Between 25k and 30k I was alternating, walking then running. But every time I started running I would have to break through a wall of intense pain. By the 30k mark I was stumbling and falling down as my legs repeatedly froze up with cramps.
Jason – “God where are you? Did I do something wrong? I though we were running this race together? I thought I was running this for Your glory? Where are You?”
God – “Jason, I have never left. I am right here. Are you ready to be carried through the rest of the race by Me?”
Jason – “Yes.”
God – “Ok, let’s start walking.”
Jason – “Father, I can’t walk. The pain is to great. The cramps are to strong.”
God – “Let’s do it one step at a time. You are going to finish this race, trust in Me. Focus on Me, not the pain. The pain temporary, it will quickly be forgotten when you cross that finish line.”
The next 12k were the hardest few hours of my life, both physically and spiritually. Every few minutes I had an opportunity to give in and quit. I could have easily grabbed a ride to the finish line but every time I thought about it God wouldn’t let me do it. He would encourage me, “Just make it to the next kilometer or the next water station or the next staff person.” Through pain, tears, and frustration I limped my way to the finish line. 12k became 10k, then 5k, soon 3k.
Jason – “God, I would love it if Dustin Mick (A great man!) could meet me at the 1k mark to walk (really at that point, limp) with me over that finish line.”
God – “lol, I love you Jason!” (Yes, God does laugh out loud.)
As I pass the 1k mark I see Dustin Mick waiting to finish the race with me. It was at that point that the tears of pain and frustration I had been desperately been trying to hold back turned into tears of joy. Not because I ran that race but because God done the impossible through me.
God had done the impossible, He had gotten me through my 1st marathon. And while I didn’t run the entire way, I did finish it within the required time. It took me 5 hours and 55 minutes. I finished 5 minutes before the cut off.
God is so awesome! I saw God do the impossible, I experienced what it takes to be completely dependent upon God to do the impossible. I saw, yet again, that God’s word is forever true; He told me we were going to finish that race, and we did. It has given me so much freedom to dream big, impossible dreams because I know that I serve a God who can make them possible. I want the rest of my life to be about letting God do the impossible through me, for His glory and Kingdom.
For me, the marathon was the perfect parallel to our spiritual walk. We go through emotional ups and downs, we experience joy and pain, we can feel like we are conquers or failures, but one fact will always remain…God can get us over the finish line. And when we cross the finish line, the pain and discomfort we have experienced along the way will not matter because the joy of our Good Father will consume every molecule in our bodies and we will celebrate to His glory.
So for those who are in a season of your life where every step seems like it is full of pain and frustration, and you don’t think you can go much further; know that God is right there with you, waiting to carry you across the finish line into His goodness and joy. All we have to do is let Him do it.
