Today's post is two-fold: First, a heads-up that if anyone thrives on daily Cheeky posts, he or she will have to make an adjustment. I started the daily blogging thing last July, mainly out of a desire to see if I could blog daily. And apart from a couple of hiccups, I've more or less arrived: Since July 1, 2010, I have posted 359 times. Ladies and gentlemen, I declare that to be close enough. Starting this week I'm backing it down to 3-4 posts a week, depending on what mood I'm in. I'm not changing my topics at all, but there will be some consolidation. Of course, in true Cheeky fashion, I haven't decided on what will be consolidated to when, so I'm just going to throw it all in the hopper and see what comes out. Thanks for coming along on my post-every-day journey! Without all of you-- well, I'd just be talking to myself, wouldn't I? The voices in my head get along better when I talk to people besides myself, though.
Second, today's verse is 2 Timothy 4:7: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (NIV). If you aren't familiar with 2 Timothy, the apostle Paul wrote it in his last days, as he was imprisoned by Rome and awaiting execution, hence the reason "fought", "finished", and "kept" are in past tense. In more or less every sense, he was done.
As far as I know, I'm not done. I still have fighting and racing and keeping ahead of me. But this verse reminds me to keep going, for one day I will arrive at my finish line. And of course it has special resonance with me as a runner-- I know what it is to run a race, pour out all my effort, and finish with nothing left. There's that popular saying that goes around the internet, that when paraphrased says that we aren't meant to arrive in the grave in a perfectly preserved body, having risked nothing and lost nothing, but rather we're meant to skid in sideways rejoicing in what a great ride it was. Or, in this instance, what a great race. I want to live my life so that I can, at the end of my days, say the same as Paul: I have fought, I have finished, I have kept. Run on, my friends.
How is your race going?
7 comments:
I love that image of sliding in to the grave like a runner rounding third and heading for home. Beautiful.
Wow, 359 posts. Congratulations! I love that verse. Sometimes I feel like I'm trying to get to the finish line too fast. I just need to enjoy the race while it's being run. It'll make the finish line even more rewarding to know the race was run well.
@Delores: I didn't even think about the rounding 3rd part! That's a cool image!
@Madeline: Thanks! And that's very true.
I am in total awe :) I love that you set yourself such an incredible challenge, and to achieve 359??? Amazing! Congratulations :)
Thanks! If not for the Austin Marathon and the Blogger issues, I think I could have posted every day... but I'm cool with almost every day. ;)
Congrats on finishing your year of daily posts - wow! I second your motion - 359 counts! I like this post a lot, and the quote about sliding into the grave...puts a different perspective on things.
P.S. I'm late, but I vote for "Have Bus Will Travel" too!
I think it's a fun quote. I've seen several variations on it from different perspectives, but the message is the same: Embrace life while you have it.
And I will accept your late vote! As it happens, we have a 3-way tie, so your vote clinches it. Thanks! :D
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