Out of Place

Remember that Mitt Romney family photo debacle from a few weeks back? On an episode of the Melissa Harris-Perry show a beloved Sesame Street sketch was used for no good to either (1) make fun of the Romneys, (2) poke fun at the GOP for its lack of diversity, or (3) both. We can never know true intentions, but it was ill-advised, resulted in a huge blow-up and…who cares? Right?

Well, I thought of the MHP blow up, because I also seek to draw on the magic of Sesame Street for my next blog in the Hebrews 11 series:

Can you hurriedly, before the song ends, read Hebrews 11:1-34 and figure out which one of those things is not like the other? And which one doesn't belong? No? Keep reading…you will.

By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace. - Hebrews 11:31

Rahab, in my opinion, is the most important person listed in the Hall of Faith. She is the most unlikely person to "obtain a good report." Up to this point in the chapter, every person (in every scripture) was already a follower of God. Every single person on this list had a relationship with God prior to performing their feat of faith. But Rahab…who is this chick?

Per Hebrews 11, she was:

• A harlot (i.e. a prostitue)
• With those who were disobedient

She was in one group. A really bad group. She was a part of the people who were supposed to be "utterly destroyed."And then suddenly she's in another group…listed right after Moses (the rock star of the Hebrew bible). 

How did she get there?! How did she go from being "not like the others" to being "just like the others"? How did she go from as-good-as-dead to as-good-as-Abraham?

This is how the story goes in a nutshell:

Rahab hides the spies

1. The Israelites want to attack and conquer the city of Jericho, but it's hidden behind a wall
2. They send 2 spies to scope the place out, and they hide at an inn built into the wall that belongs to a prostitute named Rahab
3. The king finds out there are spies there and sends for Rahab to hook him up with info
4. Rahab LIES to her king and country in order to hide the spies

How…unpatriotic. Why did she do this?

…and [Rahab] said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. 

- Joshua 2:9-11

Rahab believed in a God that wasn't her God, and through that belief He became her God. Read that again. This right here is the GOSPEL.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. - John 3:16

All Rahab wanted in return for hiding the spies was for her and her family's lives to be spared when they invaded. That happened and more!

The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham:

Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram. Ram was the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon. Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David the king.

…are you kidding me? Look who snuck into the family of Jesus Christ! By faith! But I really shouldn't be shocked, because isn't that how we all got there?

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus - Galatians 3:26

**Update** If you click on the Melissa Harris-Perry link at the beginning of the blog, you can watch the video that started all the drama. But beware of the comments to the YouTube video. Some of them are downright evil.

Prince of Egypt

It's a new year, and so I want to take a new approach to writing my blog. Tuesdays. On Tuesday nights I'm just going to go for it. I spend so much time thinking about what I'm going to write that nothing much gets written. This was not the case when I was on vacation in Italy/Greece; I wanted to write a blog every day so I did it. No matter what. I want Tuesdays to be like that.

First, I have to finish my Hebrews 11 series. I can't believe that it crossed out of 2013. But, honestly, 2013 was a really dark time for me spiritually. It was strange that I was so focused on the subject of faith when my own faith was languishing. There are a lot of things that could mark 2013:

1. I ran the Marine Corp Marathon
2. I ran the Athens Classic Marathon in Greece
3. I vacationed in Rome
4. I went to the Austin City Music Festival with my bestie
5. I finally went to Ingrid Michaelson's Holiday Hop in NYC
6. I spent a long weekend in Miami
7. I finally moved into a 1br apartment

...and the list could go on. But in my mind, the year was marked by a long stay in a spiritual valley of despair. It's hard to write this sort of blog when you're feeling that kind of way. What's weird though, is that I believe everything in my blog, and it was very therapeutic. However, I skipped a lot of therapy sessions. There was a time when I thought: "do more, spend more, go more places" was the answer to all of my bad feelings. But if I surrounded myself with people, I still felt lonely. If I spent a ton of money on vacations, concerts, or material possessions, it only left me feeling woefully broke. After every marathon I ran, I needed to run another one to feel like I achieved something. The more I focused on things that were supposed to create a "rich life" the more I became aware of my spiritual poverty.

 Which leads me to my part two on Moses:

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned. 

- Hebrews 11:24-29

Background (in case you don't know about Moses): 

• Pharaoh orders every male Hebrew child to be killed (as Jewish population control)
• Moses' parents put him in a basket in the Nile to save him
• He is rescued by Pharaoh's daughter and raised as a Prince of Egypt (the link is to the animated movie on Netflix Instant Play. It's awesome!)

 But then...something happened: 

Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. So he looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one around, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. - Exodus 2:11-12

How did he make this decision? Up to this point, Moses had been living what many would call a "rich life." He was a prince! He had money, chariots, probably had all the girls he wanted. He was living! But after this slave incident...things got hard. Pharaoh found out and wanted to kill him! So in 48 hours he went from prince to fugitive. From palace living to homeless. To never having to work a

He looks so happy...in his chariot

day in his life to a migrant worker (Exodus 2:15-22).

How did this happen? How did his priorities get all mangled up that what became important to him was "Let my people go!" How did he give up luxury and ease for poverty and difficulty? How did he give up a sure position for, "take thy staff and do my wonders"?

Moses saw beyond the present. He saw beyond his royalty to the reproach of Christ. He saw beyond the king (pharaoh) that he could see, to the King he couldn't see. Since his heart was set on the future, the luxuries of his present seemed...worthless. 

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. - Romans 8:7-8

Moses' mind was no longer set on his ease. It was no longer set on his pleasures. But that's my default mode. Happiness = stuff. But actually happiness = chasing the will of God. Chasing His mission for you. Moses was hesitant at the burning bush, but look at how he led those people across that sea. I wish I was a time traveler. I wish I could walk across with them. Like maybe then I'd know that the answer to my issues isn't a concert. It isn't a trip to South Africa. It's not new boots. It's not a new haircut.

It's higher. It's harder. 

It's the way of faith.

I want to mark 2014 with faith.

Beyonce Concert: A Religious Experience?!

I want to organize my thoughts on this in a way that doesn't seem blasphemous, because you guessed it: I'm about to compare Beyonce to the Bible! There's a half dozen ways in which I could do this, but I'll focus on three:

 1. Taste and See

Prior to going to this concert, I wasn't really a Beyonce fan. I wasn't willing to spend a ton of money to get good seats. And around 4:00 PM yesterday, I expressed, to June, a desire to stay home. I was too tired to see Beyonce. But I trudged out to Verizon Center to see her...and it was insane. I came away from that concert thinking (A) This is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and (B) whatever a "star" is, she is it!

Why was I so apathetic before? The issue was I had only heard of Beyonce, I'd listened to a few songs and thought "that's nice", but I'm not an R&B/Hip Hop fan...so she wasn't for me. Resultantly, I went back to my obsession with the likes of Iron & Wine, Ingrid Michaelson, and The Weepies (all amazing artists). However, I hadn't really tried Beyonce.

Likewise, so many people in this world have only heard of Jesus, they've heard about a few of His teachings and thought "that's nice" but Jesus is not for me. And they return to the philosophy of life that they've always had and are comfortable with. They deal with the yearnings of their soul (if they believe in a soul) in the way that they've always known. But, "O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" (Psalms 34:8). Taste and See is such a simple but overlooked concept. There are so many things that we think we "get the gist" of, but if you've never tasted...if you've never experienced, you can be apathetic about something that is jump-up-and-down exciting! So why not taste God? It'll cost way less than my Beyonce ticket AND you won't have to sit so far away. 

2.THIS!

How perfect is this? I mean...really? #whomadethis? #blackfolks #nailedit

3. We can Boldly Approach the Throne of God's Grace

The crux of what I am thinking about Beyonce came to me last night.  I got home from the concert and listened to a sermon on Zechariah 3 (which I'm not that familiar with) in preparation for a 7:00 AM small group at Northside Social.  The sermon was about true spiritual beauty...but to me it was about swagger. Do you need some background? Here you go:

In old Hebrew times, the High Priest had to make atonement for the Jews on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). He had to do this by making sacrifices in the "holy of holies" which:

1. Is absolutely the most holy place/presence of God/the mercy seat of God
2. Is restricted to the High Priest (he and he alone can go in there)
3. Is a place he can only go once a year or die
4. Requires the High Priest to be clean - which translates to 5 ritual baths AND he will wash his hands and feet 10 times during the service. 

This is serious business. Must. Be. Clean. In Zechariah 3, the prophet is shown a vision of the high priest, not as men see him (as this clean holy High Priest who will atone for us all), but as God sees him: 

 ^"Now Joshua [high priest] was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel." - Zechariah 3:3

If he's in there, it means he's already taken the ritual bath, but yet he's dirty in the holiest place? Ahhhh! I'm scurred for him!!  But it's cool because God makes him clean (Zechariah 3:4). But then God references someone else. Someone who will come and in one day make everyone clean. Like for all time. No more Day of Atonement (Zechariah 3:10). 

grabby fans

I'm thinking the priest's confidence levels on the day of atonement had to be really low, like basement level confidence. If the High Priest is dirty, I'd probably be obliterated just walking towards the holy of holies. Right?  But then I think about Beyonce and the way this chick boldly struts out on stage, commanding attention. Commanding adoration."Say 'Hey Mrs. Carter!'" and the crowd goes wild screaming "Hey Mrs. Carter!" People are crying, reaching for the stage, shaking when she gets close. They're going berserk and she's taking it in as if it is to be expected. When in reality...she's mere flesh and blood. Cut her, she shall bleed. Poke her in the eye, I bet you she'll squint. But the bigger reality is that she behaves this way because she can. She CAN. Ok...okay. But what does that have to do with Jesus?! In a nutshell: 

Jesus' finished work on the cross transforms us into Beyonce. 

WAIT! Before you close my window, please understand...I don't mean that He transforms us into body rolling paragons of vocal ability. No. Sadly, this does not occur. But Christ's finished work on the cross infuses us with a confidence and boldness that allows you to do far more than dance across a stage in front of thousands of screaming fans. Rather it allows you to boldly strut into the holy of holies like "Hey Lord! I am here! I have arrived! I am awesome! Grace is mine! No sins holding me back! I don't need a mediator! Woot woot!" 

Note: No one enters the holy of holies quite like that, but that's a good description compared to the fact that without Christ's finished work you either are or should be super afraid and timid about approaching God. But now scripture says:

 "So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." - Hebrews 4:16

Swagger. We can roll up with that expectation, because the reality is...we CAN.  

---


It's not my favorite song on the new album, but I think I've listened to it for 5 hours on repeat, so my Bey song for this post is "XO":

Going Home

Going home is the absolute worst part of any trip. No one feels like sitting on a stuffy plane, having way too many movie choices (picking the wrong ones) and then suffering because you can never get those two hours back. This time around though, I liked my picks, so four movies (The Heat, The Wolverine, The Great Gatsby, and Beautiful Creatures), one long nap, and a horrible episode of Law & Order SVU later I am home.

And it feels weird.

Yesterday I said there was a time for everything, but I can't help but feel like something great has ended. I alternately feel like a champion and a failure. Two weeks, two medals, 52.4 miles (not including 2 training runs), and feelings are mixed.

Feelings of "could I have run it faster?" or "that wasn't good enough" roll around in my head juxtaposed against "you've overcome serious illness to run two marathons in two weeks...that's amazing!" Which thoughts are right? I choose the latter, but there is a competitive part of me, that I guess is competing a little bit with myself. The other part is really complacent like: "this is good enough."

Which is right? 

2 Medals in 2 Weeks!

Most Christians get to a point where they feel like they're not "good enough" which is slippery slope because we know that "there is no one righteous; not even one" (Romans 3:10) and that we are only made acceptable through the blood of Jesus Christ. But why, then, do we beat ourselves up when we make the same mistake twice? Why do we groan remembering Friday night when our mercy was new Saturday morning (Lamentations 3:22-23)? What is that about? Are we discounting grace? Am I discounting the fact that I ran two marathons in two weeks?

No. Not at all.

I think that we all get to a point where we know God is calling us to more. To become more than people who run. But people who run well.

For this very reason [being now a participant of the divine nature], make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

- 2 Peter 1:5-8

I can run the distance. I know that. I've done in twice. But now I want to put efforts into proper running form, speed, how to reserve energy and totally punch it at the end of a race. I want the same thing spiritually. I can go the distance. Grace guarantees me that. However, am I seeking the enhancements? Am I even expecting excellence of myself? 

I don't know. This one is hard to think about because I may never run another race. I've reached my goal. But yet, there are higher heights, bigger accomplishments, and more races than I can count. Similarly, I don't have to be anything other than a believer accepting the grace of God...but there are higher heights, good works that God has called me to (Ephesians 2:10), and more places in God than anyone can count. 

Shouldn't I want to go there? 

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:14

 
Random Note:
We left the apartment this morning at 5AM. Much to our surprise the streets were alive and bustling. We walked past a bar that was FULL of people, still drinking and smoking, listening to music, and otherwise having a good time. As such, it is clear that we did not experience Greek nightlife, and will strike that "check" from the record. We are old. People were still at home pre-gaming when we were calling it a night. Sad face.

*I took that picture of the sky in Thessaloniki. I think it's pretty...and that the "sky is the limit" when it comes to achievement

Thessaloniki Part 2: LAST DAY

delicious

Well, it's been real, but this trip is over! We hit a few more of the items on our list:

what does that say?

1. Bougasta breakfast? Check! This was very difficult though, because we couldn't tell which, if any, of the signs said "bougasta". I said the word "bougasta" and guy behind the counter looked at me as if I were crazy. Luckily, an angel, (i.e. a Greek who knew English) walked past and helped us order everything we wanted, which happened to be every kind of bougasta (cheese-filled, spinach-filled, and meat-filled) and two cappuccinos. This was way too much food. We gave the rest to the two elderly men seated next to us. They seemed happy to get it. Parakalos!
   
   
2. This wasn't on the list, but I needed a pharmacy. There had been some major chaffing during the race, and I was pretty sure I needed Neosporin. The pharmacy was a debacle. He spoke no English. We spoke no useful Greek. We looked for antiseptic creams, but came up empty. Every time he tried to help us...we groaned. Every time we tried to speak to him, he laughed. Finally, I did this: Genius! Antiseptic acquired for the low, low price of 0.69 Euros.
3. Thessaloniki Museums? Check! We went to the Roman Forum and its associated museum. Wait! Wasn't the Roman Forum in Rome? Yep, but there was another Roman forum in Thessaloniki which they unearthed after the Great Fire of 1917 and have spent decades restoring. It was really cool because there is a whole civilization hidden beneath Thessaloniki. They can't dig it all up because it's beneath residences and office buildings but...wow right? We also went to the White Tower. Lame. But went towards the check mark.
4. An authentic gyro off the street? Check! Contrary to the popular belief that traditional gyros are made with lamb, they are actually made with pork. So we got those. They also stuff them with fries...that's probably not very historical, but it tastes really good!

   
5. Shopping? Semi-check?! Bianca went "trinket" shopping for items with which she could make jewelry for her upcoming "Harry Potter" party. Moment of silence to let that sink in. (Silence)
• She spent 45 minutes in there. 
• I couldn't take it so I went and sat in the park across the street. I would have taken pictures (there was a fountain and a number of small and beautiful clementine trees), but the area was rather seedy. There was a crazy barefoot man screaming random gibberish right next to a man who nonchalantly fed dozens of pigeons, while other smoked cigarettes all around me. It was a harsh 45 minutes for me.
6. Visiting a Greek Orthodox church? Check! The one that can be seen from our balcony. It's quite beautiful inside. I lit a candle for my bff, then sat in the chairs for some "house of worship" quiet time. I've been doing that in churches everywhere we go, and it seems really peaceful and calming. The uncommon thing in the Greek Orthodox church is the kissing of icons. They kiss every thing in that place it seems as part of their worship. I'm interested to look up what that signifies.
7.  Pastry shop? Check! On our way home from dinner we picked up two pastries. 

And just like that our time in Europe had come to an end (except for flights).  It's strange how there are times that you want to end and some that you would like to last forever. There is singing, dancing, laughter (all these we would have lengthened) and then there is weeping and sorrow (we would have these shortened or eliminated altogether). It made me think of Ecclesiastes 3's "a time for everything." There was a time to run a marathon, and a time to hobble down the street in pain. There was a time to saunter around the streets of Italy and Greece carefree, and a time to be bogged down by the annoyance of the airport. But really, my favorite scripture in Ecclesiastes 3 is:

"He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart..." Ecclesiastes 3:11

I love this part because in the previous 10 verses every good thing is balanced out with something bad (excerpt from v. 2 - 4):

A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. 
A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up. 
A time to weep and a time to laugh;

It's a roller coaster existence, all of it deemed appropriate by God's sovereignty, meaning we're very much out of control. And yet...we want forever. God has set eternity in our hearts and has ordered our lives in such a way that through the good and the bad, we want more of it.. 

And the awesome thing is: He grants that (John 3:16).

The more we want at first is carnal and temporal. But the more we live, the more we experience, the more "times" we go through (especially as Christians) the more we want the "more" to be something divine and holy. This trip has been great. But the time for it is over; however, during this time it's brought me into closer relationship with God. Daily devotionals? I've never spent so so much time on my blog in such a short period of time. Reading scriptures, writing prayers. This was the time for this. And tomorrow it will be the time for something else...all of it a manifestation of yearning that puts us back to the relationship God had with Adam, conversing in the cool of the day. 

Eternity is set in our hearts. It's why we don't want good times to end, and for those who seek God, and who understand that reconciliation with God is a restoration of that really cool relationship that initially existed, we keep looking for the next season of our lives. We know that this balancing act of good and bad is simply the "all things" working together for good spoken of in Romans 8:28. But there's a time for knowing that too I guess. 

Lord, we thank you for all the times and the seasons in our lives; for the laughter, the tears, and everything in between.  Bless us with the ability to see past what's temporal and see how each event is shaping and preparing us for an eternity with you. In Jesus name, Amen. 

Thessaloniki: Part 1

So we have moved on in our travels from Athens to the second largest city in Greece: Thessaloniki. We were determined to plan our departure from Athens well, so we wouldn't have the opportunity to blame any difficulties on "traveling mercies" or our lack thereof. Up until 10pm last night, we had no idea how we were going to get out of Athens. Since we couldn't figure out how to get to the bus station, we took the train by default. And it went swimmingly. There was one point at which we foolishly tried to put an over-sized bag in the overhead bins. We were too weak and too short to hoist it up and in. We were making an absolute mockery of ourselves, until someone kindly told us in English: "Excuse me...it is too big, you have to put...there" and we saw some free space for our bags.

On our way to taverna. Becca wore heels...

The trip was not short. It took about five and half hours by train, but we mostly slept. Upon arrival we tried to get out and do things. But there was a problem:  Generally, I have found that Greece makes me feel like an idiot. Why? Here I am illiterate. We can't even pronounce street names on signs due to all the unknown letters. Today we went to find lunch and couldn't read anything on the menu. There were no pictures! I'm the kind of person who needs pictures in order to get food! So we just ordered two souvlaki and took everything else he offered:

Guy behind counter: With pita?
Me: Sure, give us pita.
GBC: With fries?
Me: Oooh, yeah, fries too.

Had it not been for him, we would have just had a couple of chunks of meat on a stick.

Outside our taverna. A huge watering can!

We read an article called Top 10 Things to do in Thessaloniki, and it said "walk by the seaside." Since we only have two days we decided to live life to the fullest and hit the seaside even though it was a little cold and very overcast. The site also told us to buy a coffee for our walk. We bought cappuccino freddo (which we had heard was good)...we didn't know it was a chilled drink! So we walked along the cold boardwalk with cold drinks like idiots. The Greek experience! But two things checked off our to-do list. We also had a drink at a seaside bar (check) and ate at a taverna for dinner (check). Only 6 more items to tackle tomorrow!

We're trying to live an abundant last couple of days of this trip. And it made me think of the scripture:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. - John 10:10

Old church that can be seen from our balcony

You might be thinking "oh no! prosperity gospel!" but that's not really where I'm about to go. I think that after we become Christians, our spiritual lives can settle into a kind of ho-hum, I'm-just-trying-to-hold-on-til-Jesus-come kind of existence. I know this because sometimes I find myself in "maintenance mode", just trying to stick to my routine of prayer, quiet time, and small group bible study (because that's all I have to do right?).

It's a foolish way of thinking that is a thief, or sorts. It's like the Pharisees who told people to keep to the law to have relationship with God, robbing them of a full knowledge of Christ.

I'm on this trip for two reasons:  (1) because I want to, and (2) because I can. We're trying to hit on the 10 things to do in Thessaloniki because: We think that we can. So I'm going for it. Do I live my spiritual life like that?

--Pause--Is it super messed up that my natural life and my spiritual life seem separated? That there is a way that I can think that governs carnal things, and there is a way that I think that governs my relationship God? I think that in itself is a problem--Unpause--

I ask about living my spiritual life in that way because I sat down prior to this trip and thought: "where do I want to go?" And I started researching, checking things out on the internet, and I saw the Athens Classic Marathon. And I thought: wouldn't it be cool to run the original classic course?! And suddenly I wanted it.

What do I want spiritually? Where do I want to go in Christ Jesus? What role do I want to play in His kingdom? What do I want to accomplish? Why isn't it as easy to have an abundant life in Christ as it is to check 10 Things to do in Thessaloniki off my list? Per scripture if I want to, then I can. So what's the problem? These are not rhetorical questions; I want answers.

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. - James 1:5

Lord, please bless me with wisdom. I want to do everything that I can do in your kingdom and be everything that I can be by your grace. I want to live the abundant life. "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3). Do I really know? Help me to know you more, to increase in knowledge and not settle down into "maintenance mode." I want to be built up, repaired, restored, and enlarged in every way possible. In Jesus name, Amen!

because...a Minion cake is awesome

It's All Greek to Me: Part 5 - RACE DAY!

I'm not sure if I mentioned this, but the entire trip is build around Bianca and my participation in the 31st Athens Classic Marathon. In case you don't care to click that link, let me highlight the important part:

"It is perhaps one of the most difficult major marathon races: the course is uphill from the 10 km mark to the 31 km mark – the toughest uphill climb of any major marathon."

We did not know this prior to signing up for the race. You may have gathered from the previous posts that we're really spontaneous and don't really think things through. So we only researched this after 1) paying for the marathon, and 2) buying our flights. Then we read this online and became scared...became sad.

But, we did it! We are home, laying in bed, covered in BioFreeze (which is just a yuppie form of IcyHot). Race highlights:

Bianca's highlights

1. Having the medal put around her neck
2. Young girls dancing to the traditional Greek music
3. All the people cheering, screaming "Bravo! Bravo!" 
4. And getting the laurel leaves 

Kristen's highlights

1. Running into the Olympic stadium at the end with all the people cheering
2. Running past beautiful scenery. There were pretty mountains! 

I'm slightly less cheerful than Bianca. I thought it was appropriate to start wit praise, because now...the lowlights:

Bianca's lowlights

We are now crumpled up like these bibs. :(

1.  The uphill from 28k to 31k (worst part)
2. The trickery with the finish lines -There were like 4 fake finish lines. They were the blow up arches that you run under, but they were just advertisements for sponsors of the race. :(
• These were terrible because you were running full out WAY too early, then running out of juice.
3. Aches and pains

Kristen's lowlights

1. My ankles feel broken
2. Running with tens of thousands of sweaty European men (the smells were crazy)
• Sometimes I had to run fast just to escape smell!
3. The people were cheering, but for the first 15k or so there was no one. Then there were long stretches where we didn't see anyone. I can count the number of signs I saw on my hand. It's a lonely race. 
4. It was hot and sunny, and there was zero protection from the sun (unless a cloud came). 
• I prayed often for clouds
5. Supporters who smoked. Thanks for yelling "Bravo" and stuff, but please don't blow smoke right into my face...that's not exactly what my lungs need right now. 

So it's over. Hooray! And I'm really pleased with our performance. There was a time, not too long ago, when I couldn't run very far at all. And I remember being so hype about being able to run 4 miles without stopping (click here for old blog). But my faith, in myself, was at a place where I could run four miles. And now my faith is at a place where I can run for 26.2 miles in one of the toughest marathons in the world.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (shout out!). For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”"- Romans 1:16-18

This is one of my favorite scripture of all time.  The life of the Christian is all about faith. And I've said it before, faith is in levels. Faith gets stronger and stronger. Faith grows bigger and bigger and it has to because we are living by this. The faith that gets you through today will not be the same faith that gets you through next year. The awesomeness of God, the truth of his divine mercy and justice and all the promises that He has made through Jesus Christ became more evident over time. And we totally need that.

Faith keeps us going, just like in my race. In my first marathon (which was two weeks ago to this day) I knew I could run without stopping, and so I ran 26.2 miles without walking for a single second. For this marathon, I believed I could run up that huge hill, and make it back down. I prayed about it so much...around the 30k marker (almost at the end of the hill) my ankles felt really bad, so bad that I debated within myself about walking. I knew I could PR if I kept running (on this difficult course), but that walking would make my ankles feel better. It was a few minutes before I decided (by faith) that I could do both. I really love the Lord! And I really loved this race! I beat my time from 2 weeks ago by 10 minutes even though I walked. All glory goes to God. 

Lord, thank you for growing the measure of faith that was initially given to us when we accepted Christ. Sometimes, in the Christian walk we find ourselves in the valley, but it is in those times that you are refining our faith so we can rejoice more fully on the mountaintop. Thank you for being mindful of our growth and development spiritually and naturally. Keep us on course so that we finish every race and PR every time! In Jesus name, Amen! 

The Finish Line!