Does tripping or sprinting at the starting line determine how you will finish the race?

This is part of my story- my collective- major life event -kind of story…

Why? It was just a moment in time. It could have and potentially should have -according to some- told me I wasn’t cut out for sports. Instead- it showed me my mind and how powerful it could be in changing the trajectory of my life. So if you’ve read it before- enjoy the story again with thoughts on this question:

Does tripping or sprinting at the starting line determine how you will finish the race?

I was raised in a family where I was taught to pray. However, at the age of 14, I certainly did not have what I would consider to be a relationship with my Heavenly Father. It was an element of my life that I was still trying to understand what I believed in.

High school brought the opportunity to play on sports teams. I loved playing volleyball and basketball with my best friend and followed her onto the high school track team in the spring!

Our first four competitive meets were rained out. In week five, we were finally blessed with a sunny day with no threat of thunderstorms. Area coaches agreed to hold multiple large invitationals the rest of the season to try and play catch-up and give the athletes the opportunity to compete against each other before regional and state meets. So my first track meet was attended by eight area high schools. As we arrived at the stadium I was completely awestruck. There were SO many people. We were immediately given two instructions by Coach: 

1-“Stay off of the football field (A string about a foot high was placed around the entire perimeter to remind people to stay off of the field, protecting it for the football season in the fall).
2- Pay attention to ensure you don’t miss your events”. 

Our team found a nice grassy spot on the embankment surrounding the track and took off for our warm-up laps around the track.
I was the only runner from my school in the mile event, but I knew that I was supposed to listen to the first call and turn in my entry card at the scorer’s table. I listened closely, heard my event call, and turned in my card. Then I just simply watched other teams of runners and followed their lead. When they stretched- I stretched. When they jogged around- I jogged around. So when I came back near the scorer’s table and saw the hurdles being moved onto the track, I asked the nice lady at the scorer’s table if they had moved the mile run after the hurdles. She jumped up and called the people putting the hurdles on the track to get them off and told me the mile was getting started on the far side of the field.

In near disbelief combined with panic-stricken horror, I broke the big rule of running on the football field in an attempt to make it to the starting line of my race. I jumped over the string barrier, sprinted as fast as a distance runner can sprint, and when I neared the starter whose gun was already raised in the air to start the race I screamed a somewhat breathless- “Wait!!!!”  

In my attempt to stop the race from beginning without me, my focus shifted and I failed to successfully navigate the string barrier on that side of the field. I tripped over it, landing face down right at the starting line. Motivated in a moment of crisis, I put my faith to the test. I uttered the most sincere fervent prayer of my life thus far. I begged my Father in Heaven whom I was desperately trying to believe in, with all the faith I could possibly muster… to make me invisible… It was the only solution I could think of…

When I heard giggles, I knew my prayer had gone on answered.

I was trying to understand spiritual things at this time in my life. I was trying to see if prayer was real and if I had enough faith to ask for things that I felt I needed. I’m sure I wasn’t completely surprised that Heavenly Father did not make me invisible. I was desperate and at a desperate moment, I asked for a desperate solution.

In all my clamor, I successfully paused the beginning of the race. The starter invited me to take a spot in the last row and in the last position of runners. I held back tears as I took my place in the back of the pack of over twenty runners at the starting line wishing I was anywhere but there. 

Three laps into the race I found myself in sixth place. My mind had been wandering through embarrassment with God about my ridiculous plea for help and hoping that absolutely no one from my team had seen what happened. Perhaps in a last-ditch effort to try my faith that day I prayed for help in running the last lap of my race and finishing strong. 

With 100 yards to go, I passed the two front-runners.

I felt God had sent me a message. I felt he wanted me to keep trying, to keep believing, and keep searching for Him.

Let’s circle back to the question…

Does tripping or sprinting at the starting line determine how you will finish the race?

The answer becomes obvious, so let’s re-write the details into any area applicable in your own life. We quickly can acknowledge there is power to change trajectory.
I will tell you the first step is incredibly simple and will only cost you a quarter- 25 cents…

For me to authentically show up as one on a journey of progression- my first step is with a quarter in my shoe or some other cue set up in my direct space to remind me to pray. 
I invite God to guide my steps, thoughts, and ideas. And then I thank Him-
For my Savior who extends grace when I stumble. 

How many times a day do I offer this type of prayer?

It depends on how much I really want what I say I’m chasing after or working towards. 
So perhaps 10-50 times a day I invite God to journey with me. (Imagine the difference between 10… and 50… especially if the placement of a quarter in my shoe is a two-week goal…)
It’s math- simple math. But as I work to near 50- change and absolute knowledge are imminent…

As I feel my quarter with every step I take, I’m reminded to use the incredible resource available to me (all of us) to walk with Him. As I turn to Him first throughout my day- I feel safety in telling God the truth. I often ask for help as I climb through the current mountain or opportunity in my path and I turn to Him first to celebrate my progress. 

My faith grows and my individual races or experiences as I journey are never decided by my first few steps. God gives me the power to change- through Him and because of His Son, Jesus Christ who serves as my advocate. There’s nothing more perfectly simple as I do my work!

My final thought on this today is to remember my story-
I sprinted – then tripped BEFORE I even got to the starting line. And several layers of success were mine to claim that day. 
It was important to learn that day and more important to remember in the tomorrows since- that there’s always more than one way to get to the finish line. 

-JC

Reese’s Take 5 Krispy Bars

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 ¼ cups peanut butter
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
Pretzels
16 oz. tub Caramel Dip or Caramel Sauce
4 oz.+ milk chocolate bars
Take 5 Candy Bars

Mix sugar into corn syrup. Heat until dissolved, not boiling. Stir in peanut butter. Fold into Rice Krispies. Pat into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Layer on top with pretzel pieces. Gently heat caramel sauce (store-bought or homemade). Spoon into freezer strength Quart size Ziploc. Drizzle caramel over the pretzel layer. Melt chocolate bars. Drizzle onto the caramel layer. Top with pieces of Take 5 bars. Let set. Share!