50,000 Feet

I run but I've never considered myself a runner, until two weekends ago, and even then, not the kind of runner you would think.

Every organized race I've run tells you not to run with your ipod, they say for safety reasons.  Especially in a race as big as the Cooper River Bridge run, with thousands of people pushing around, over and through you as they run.   But alas, all but those who actually win (ahem, the kenyans, ahem) run with music blasting through their skulls.  Let's face it, running is mental and if you can force every thought of pain, thirst and hunger out, and replace it with "R-E-S-P-E-C-T find out what it means to me!" you might just stand a chance at crossing the finish line, in one piece mind you. Really, there have been some days I decide not to run because my ipod is dead. No judging allowed.

But as I was running the lovely 4% incline for 1.5 mile trek up and over the bridge, I decided to take my headphones out. And when I expected to hear silence, or at least my own huffing and puff puff puffing, what I heard was DEAFENING.  Close to 50,000 feet, or pairs of feet, hitting concrete.  I've never heard anything like it.  You can't hear anything else, period. Just pat pat pat pat pat pat pat pat...forever.

And then I got this thought. Like a charlie horse to the brain.


I trained for months to run this race. I spent over $300 to make the weekend possible. I woke up at 4:45AM to make sure we arrived to the starting line on time.  I stretched, I prepared, I studied, I made it a priority.  All for a race that took me

just ONE hour

to complete.

50,000 other people did the same.

Think about that. 50,000 people doing the exact same thing, at the exact same time.  For what?  Personal accomplishment, health and fitness, to prove to their friends they could???

Then I heard the feet again.

Will it sound like this when Jesus returns?  

What if this many people put forth the same amount of passion and energy into seeking Jesus as they did into this race?  What if 50,000 people made HIM a priority?  What if they were all wanting to persevere to the only finish line that matters?

I know the Bible lays out a very graphic picture of what the end times will be like, what we will hear and what we will see, and no the sound of running feet isn't one of them, but at that moment, as I listened to thousands upon thousands of people run, I couldn't help but think, or HOPE that running feet is what we'll hear.

I got a glimpse of that on Easter Sunday.  And while we may not have had 50k people attend, there were definitely thousands that showed up to hear the truth about Jesus' resurrection.  I'd say that's a start, leading to a promising finish.

I consider myself a runner, do you?

Look past our family photo, at all the people, and this was an hour before the service began!