Watch this.  (Keep your eye on the runner who starts out in 2nd place)

Did you see what happened? Heather Dorniden was in 1st place and on her last lap, she tripped and fell. She had to basically re-run that race in one lap.

But the race didn’t end there.

She picked herself up and fought for 1st place and won! (Gives you the goosebumps, right?)

I was a track runner in high school—I did sprints much like the one in this video. I know how hard it is to fight to GET to first place and then KEEP first place. It takes a lot of training to prepare you and then a lot of determination and willpower during the event. Especially that much more when you trip and fall.

There’s something redeeming in someone who has the ambition and willpower to get back up again after a setback, wouldn’t you agree? We don’t love this video because she won. (although that helps!) We love it because she got up and got back in the race. She wasn’t going to let a setback stop her from her ultimate goal.

The reality is, we are ALL in a race. (Whether you like it or not, you are an athlete!)

“…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1

The reality is, we ALL fall.

“We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.” James 3:2

♥♥♥

So what have you tripped over in your race? What is keeping you from running full force to your finish?

Marriage?

Faith?

Addiction?

Relationships?

Physical Health?

Pregnancy Challenges?

Some of you now are reading this with disgust. “Clare, you don’t know how many times I’ve fallen. I am SICK of getting back up. The fight is barely worth fighting anymore.”

I want to encourage you to keep fighting. You are created in the image of the ALMIGHTY GOD! We have access to the greatest power source and endurance runner out there!

“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:30-31

♥♥♥

I didn’t plan on putting this song in, but it kept ringing through my head as I wrote this blog post. Be encouraged.

Get Back Up by TobyMac

You turned away when I looked you in the eye,
And hesitated when I asked if you were alright,
Seems like you’re fighting for you life,
But why? oh why?
Wide awake in the middle of your nightmare,
You saw it comin’ but it hit you outta no where,
And theres always scars
When you fall back far

We lose our way,
We get back up again
It’s never too late to get back up again,
One day you will shine again,
You may be knocked down,
But not out forever,
Lose our way,
We get back up again,
So get up, get up,
You gonna shine again,
Never too late to get back up again,
You may be knocked down,
But not out forever
[May be knocked down but not out forever]

You’re rolled out at the dawning of the day
Heart racin’ as you made you little get away,
It feels like you’ve been runnin’ all your life
But, why? Oh why?

So you’ve pulled away from the love that would’ve been there,
You start believin’ that your situation’s unfair

But there’s always scars,
When you fall back far

We lose our way,
We get back up again
Never too late to get back up again,
One day, you gonna shine again,
You may be knocked down but not out forever,
Lose our way, we get back up again,
So get up, get up

You gonna shine again
It’s never too late, to get back up again
You may be knocked down, but not out forever,
May be knocked down, but not out forever!

This is love callin’, love callin’, out to the broken,
This is love callin’.
This is love callin’, love callin’, out to the broken
This is love callin’.
This is love callin’, love callin’,
I am so broken
This is love callin’ love callin

Lose our way, [way way way ay ay ay]
We get back up, [get back up again]
It’s never too late [late late late ate ate ate]
You may be knocked down but not out forever!

Lose our way,
We get back up again,
So get up get up
You gonna shine again
Never too late to get back up again
You may be knocked down,
But not out forever,

This is love [lose our way] callin’ love callin’ [get back up again]
To the broken
This is love [never too late] callin’
[may be knocked down but not out forever]
This is love [lose our way] callin’ love callin’ [we get back up again]
To the broken
This is love [never too late] callin’
[may be knocked down but not out forever]

This is love callin’ love callin’
Out to the broken,
This is love callin’….

I am linking this post up to Titus 2sdays!!