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Jesus and Bill
So, it becomes incomprehensible that Bill Rodgers would decide to stop at 17.6 miles to get a drink. And it would not be the last stop that he would make throughout the race. Every time that his body would require water, he would stop and drink it. “I know that everyone thinks that I am crazy to stop, but it helps me. If I don't stop, I can't drink- it just splashes. I can only get down a couple of gulps each time, so I stop because I need it.” That was not the only thing Bill Rodgers stopped for. He stopped at the twenty mile marker to take off the gloves that he wore from the start of the race. Oh, and decided to very calmly re-tie his shoes. In terms of competitive marathon running, Bill Rodgers was doing everything possible to lose the race. By the end, Bill Rodgers had set a Boston Marathon record, ran the fifth fastest marathon of all-time, and beaten the second place finisher by 2 minutes. What a great story. So, what can we learn from it? Bill Rodgers stopped. Right smack dab in the middle of one of the biggest races in the world to get refreshment. Can you imagine what people were thinking? Jesus didn't wonder what people were thinking when He stopped for some refreshment. In Mark 6:31, Then Jesus said, “ Let's go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and His apostles didn't even have time to eat. They could not keep up the pace without stopping. The saying, “If the devil can't make you bad, he will make you busy”, is very true. But, sometimes our “ life racing” causes us to become distant from God; because we are not getting the proper refreshment we need. The prayer, meditation, and study that keeps us hydrated, fed, and focused on running a winning race in this life. Bill Rodgers was stopping and refreshing to win a race. Jesus Christ was stopping and refreshing to win lives. May we learn from Jesus and Bill to stop splashing and dashing. Take the time to get refreshed, and live to win! |
