We were honored to speak on Friday to a roomful of folks preparing for Sunday’s Ironman Triathlon.
These people are following a God-sized dream. On Sunday we watched as they hit the water at 7:00 am for a 2.6 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile run.
The first professional competitor will finish the 140.6 miles in a bit more than eight hours. The course closes at midnight, so the last finisher has seventeen hours to complete the race.
Here’s an interesting tradition: EVERY person who completes the race within the time limit earns the coveted title of Ironman. The winner’s an Ironman, the person who finishes just before midnight is an Ironman.
Heaven’s like that, I think. The all-star and the everyday person who struggles to the line aren’t going to look any different on the other side of eternity.
The other cool Ironman tradition involves the finish line. Lots of spectators show up to watch the best athletes finish, but the crowds swell as midnight approaches. Even the winners, who finished hours earlier, come back to honor those who finish in the final minutes. It’s a sign of respect for those who aren’t the most gifted but persevered to the end.
I wonder if it’s like that in heaven. I’m sure the angels celebrate everyone’s arrival, but I wonder if there’s a little extra applause for the folks who overcame impossible adversity, stuck with it when it would have been easier to quit, and finished the race—even if they stumbled to the finish line.
Might be bad theology, but it’s kind of a nice thought.
Please leave a comment here.
This devotional really spoke to me I do believe that God is like that! It gives me hope day to day that I don’t need to be first or best but to keep on keeping on doing the best I can from day to day and Yay God He will be cheering and happy to see me at my journeys end
Speaking of God sized dreams, my daughter and my daughter in law each completed a “sprint triathlon” this month. I didn’t see that coming a few years ago. My daughter rarely rode a bike and couldn’t run 100 yards without gasping for air. In each case, what they and I saw as impossible, became a reality. I guess the old man (me at 63) better keep riding and keep believing in what’s possible when you follow a dream. Thanks Rich for your continual inspiration. Heading out on a ride now with 2 friends, one 58 and the other 72.