The Marathon Part 3

THE RACE IS NOT TO THE SWIFT... (Ecclesiastes 9:11)

...BUT HE THAT ENDURES TO THE END SHALL BE SAVED 

(Matthew 10:22)

Nathaniel drew out his map once again.  He had come to a fork in the course.  Here he read “I rested here and I drank.  Up ahead is steep and slippery ground.  I did not make it at the first attempt.  I tried and tried again.”  Nathaniel rested and many passed him by.  A friend rested with him.

Refreshed, they continued together.  The slippery climb was all that its previous conqueror said it would be.  Determination, courage and patience saw Nathaniel up and over.  He left many washed up competitors in his wake.  The climb was too much for them.  They chose to give up, concede defeat rather than to patiently try and try again.

Nathaniel came to a crossroads.  Withdrawing his map from his pocket, he read, “I passed here.  I took time to ponder my decision.  I was not rushed.  The easy way is not always the best way."  To the left of the crossroads was all down hill and the scenery was beautiful.  To the right was a level smooth road.  Just the kind of refreshing relief after the punishment they had already taken.  Straight ahead was swampy terrain, might I add, with several traps and snares.  To the right and left, he saw many competitors disappearing in the distance.  

Nathaniel chose to go straight ahead.  His friend accompanied him.  There was no one up ahead.  It was just Nathaniel and his friend.  There, right in the swamp, he spotted a path.  It was a path of stones.  As he stepped from one stone to the other, he recognized that "what is apparent is not always the reality" and so he continued steadfastly.  And right there with him was his friend.

Meanwhile, Simon was encountering all kinds of problems.  At the cross roads, he had chosen the right turn.  It had taken him along a smooth, level path at first, but suddenly he found himself meandering along some winding turns.

These turns and twists eventually took him into a network of paths.  'Now which one do I take?" he wondered.  "They all look so alike."  He decided on one but it just led him around and around.  He took out his map.  He had not looked at it for at least three hours.  He traced his finger along the path from the beginning of the course.  He realized that he had gone wrong at the crossroads.  'Should I have gone straight ahead?" he asked himself quizzically.  "But straight ahead was swamp land."  It was then that he saw the words in fine print, "The easy way is not always the best."  "Gosh!" he concluded, "I should have gone straight ahead."  It was too late however.  Here he was, caught in a maze, a maze from where he did not know the way.  In his moving around, he met with several others who had also become caught in the maze.  "There is a way that seemeth right to a man but the end..." His end was failure in this, his first marathon.  His lot was despair.  If ever he got out of this, how would he be able to face his friends, his fans or those whom he ridiculed?

The coordinators of the race left nothing to chance.  They had provided necessary rescue operations for those who for one reason or another needed such.  Simon would just have to wait until they came and got him as well as the others who took the easy path.  "Easy Street is often not Success Street."

Exiting from the swamp, Nathaniel encountered a steep and winding climb.  At the bottom he looked up.  Up there he saw quite a few competitors.  They lay or sat at the side of the path, their energy sapped and totally exhausted.  Their resolve was now gone and their determination nil.  Nathaniel withdrew his map.  He knew the way he must go but he was merely looking at the fine print.

"I too almost gave up here.  I would have missed the surprise up ahead.  Remember taking your time is not lazy."

Nathaniel came to the brow of the winding climb.  He had passed scores of runners on his ascent.  Every one he passed had strengthened his resolve.  Footsore and weary he cast his eye in the distance.  Not far away he spied a great crowd of spectators.  He dimly made out the words 'THE FINISH’.

  

With renewed determination and effort, Nathaniel trudged his way towards his goal.  As his tired feet crossed the finish line, a great cheer went up.  He was the fifth competitor to finish.  That was not a significant statistic to Nathaniel.  Like Paul, he had run a good race and had finished the course.  The gold was his.  "The race is certainly not to the swift nor the battle to the strong" but in Matthew's words "Those that endureth to the end."

When quizzed concerning the reason for his success, Nathaniel had this to say.

“I heeded the counsel of those who had successfully run before.  I constantly studied my map and I kept running with my friend.”

We really ought to consider these reasons and apply them if we would emulate Nathaniel's success.

WELL DONE NATHANIEL!

Stewart Russell © 1999