Faith is the biggest race of all!

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." -Hebrews 12:1-2

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win." -1 Corinthians 9:24

Danica Patrick has an awesome last name!

Today was a record breaking day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway: it was the hottest race day in Indy 500 history with temperatures as high as 95 degrees! And since I got a really bad sunburn on the top of my knees from the baseball game on Friday, I decided to wear pants as to not aggravate that burn. That was a bad decision...

I still don't get the fun of watching auto racing. Yeah, the cars drove really fast. Yeah, I got to see a couple crashes. Yeah, the noise that the cars made as they drove by was pretty awesome. But I still don't get it. Granted, I am extremely glad that I went to the race as it will be an unforgettable experience, but I can't say that I would ever go back. In the end, it was simply cars driving around in a circle. Maybe if my seat was higher up or maybe if I was on a straightaway I could have seen more and enjoyed more, but all I saw was cars drive by once every 45 seconds or so, and since I was on the curve, I never saw anyone pass anyone. The wicked crash on the last lap happened at the other end of the curve, so I didn't know it happened until I saw it on the video replay (I actually did get the end of the wicked crash on video. I tried to upload it but it wouldn't work). In the end, only one winner could be crowned, and the winner was: Ashley Judd's husband.

The apostle Paul said several times that our faith is a race. So in honor of the Indy 500, I dwelled on the race aspect of faith today. I don't know what kind of training it takes to be an IndyCar racer (I presume a whole lot), but I do know the type of training it took to be an 800m track runner. Training encompassed all aspects of my life. 5-6 days a week, I would do various distance runs and various tempos. 3 days a week, I would lift weights. At home, I tended to eat fairly healthy (I was a teenager, I wasn't perfect). During the season, I wouldn't drink any soda. I even would avoid smoke filled concert venues as to avoid inhaling any secondhand smoke.

As with the 800m (and presumably IndyCar), our faith needs encompass all aspects of our lives. Paul tells us to run the race to win the prize, which means we cannot be content living life as an "average" Christian. We must strive to grow in holiness constantly and daily, which means that we can never slack off in anything! All of our lives affect our faith, and the race is a very long one (much longer than the Indy 500!) The training is hard, the race is long, but the prize is worthwhile. But just like with any race, we can't go from zero to hero overnight. Training is a gradual process: we lay aside the sins that ensnare us when they are revealed to us, we discipline ourselves to read our Bibles more often and for longer periods, we put Jesus more at the forefront of our lives every day. Thankfully, there isn't only one prize, because I would be found nowhere on the leaderboard, but Christ is the prize to all who are running the race! In that prize, I truly rejoice!

Only 4 days left on my roadtrip (3 of which consist of at least 8 hours of driving). Memphis tomorrow!
-Patrick