The Challenge

Earlier last  year I did a 5k mud run.  A mud run is exactly what it sounds like.  You run in the mud and in the process of this you have to complete obstacle courses.  Well, it was quite the experience when I had the opportunity to participate in this.  We did a number of things, such as swimming for a mile in a lake, crawling through a dark ditch which contained barb wire, and hopping a wall.  But, the most challenging part of the course was the gauntlet.  In this gauntlet we had to climb 11 feet using a rope and then in order to get to the other side of the gauntlet, you had to hop down about 4 feet onto a log.  Now here’s where it gets good. I decided to slide onto the log backwards (bad move by the way) and in this process I fell 11 feet onto the floor and on the way down I hit my shins on platform and I was badly injured.  However; I brought myself back up and finished the race.  If you don’t believe me I have the scar to prove it!

  

                                                            Let the race begin!

As I was thinking about this mud run today, I began to remember how hard it was for me to get back up on my feet. I was in so much pain. But, as I look back I was so happy to get that medal at the end of the race.   Every so often our lives become similar to a mud run.  We have to get down and dirty. Sometimes, we even have to fall 11 feet from the top.  But, the most rewarding part is when you can reflect back to that one moment in time and say “I survived!”  You may have come out with some scars, but it’s a scar that you brag about, because you turned that struggle into a triumph. Adversity is often times a test that turns into a lesson.  Meaning that you have overcome the obstacle, and now it’s your job to reflect and learn what you can improve on. A mistake should be used as a building block for the future, not as a weight to carry upon your shoulders for the rest of your life. Proverbs 24:10 says “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.”

 

Crawling through barbed wire

Waiting to do the final challenge "The Gauntlet" this is where I fell from, but on the other side. 

                                                   

God loves us in spite of all our flaws.  God doesn't look at us and say “look at that sinner, he’s a thief, he’s a liar” no, he looks at us and says “this is my son, this is my daughter and I love them” Friends we first have to forgive ourselves for the error of our ways and turn from them for good.  By doing this we open the door for God to bless us. We have to make sound decisions, and use our aberrations and turn them into something that can be used to glorify the Lord. Phillipians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" 

                                    This was me 59lbs heavier last year. but we made it to the finish line!  

Just like a mud run; life will get dirty, you will get hurt, and you will even have scars.  But don’t let your scars be a sign of defeat, let your scars be a symbol of courage and hope to those who are in the gauntlet of life. 1 John 5:4 “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”

Have a blessed day friends.