THE FINISH LINE

"The need to finish is great."  Jim Tracy

90 days from today, my plan is to run across THE FINISH LINE at the Boston Marathon.

THE FINISH LINE.

It's the goal in any race.

It's the goal in life.

The Apostle Paul, in 2 Timothy 4:7 [NLT] said, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful."

The Message Bible says it this way, "This is the only race worth running.  I've run hard right to the finish, believed all the way."

Recently, I watched a documentary about a high school coach in California, Jim Tracy and his San Francisco University High School Girls Cross Country Team.  The documentary is called, "Running for Jim."

I won't tell the whole story, as I think EVERYONE should watch it, whether you like running or not, but it starts out by showing brief clips, new papers, TV reports, etc, of the finish of the state cross country meet, where one of his runners, due to dehydration, collapsed just a few yards short of the finish line. (To see a great piece that ESPN did about this in 2010, click HERE)

There is a statement in the ESPN piece as well as in the documentary that caught my attention.  

"It's not HOW you cross the finish line and why, 

but who you cross the finish line with."

On April 16th, so many will "cross the finish line" with me.  Those who:  

• Have sacrificed
• Have encouraged 
• Gave of themselves 
• Gave of their time
• Gave of their knowledge 
• Gave of their resources 

Also:

• The patients and patient families of ST. JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL
• Those who have impacted me my whole life whether they are with us today, or have gone on before 
• ALL will be with me as I run 

My perspective is such:  I.RUN.FOR.A.REASON!  I.WILL.FINISH.MY.RACE!

So, whether in the RACE of LIFE or in an endurance RACE, I'll continue to run to that FINISH LINE.

Who will cross the line with me?

"The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling but rising up again."
Vince Lombardi

If you would like to get involved and donate to St. Jude and my efforts as as St. Jude Hero for the Boston Marathon, you can click this link:  

Support St. Jude through Tim Peterson's St. Jude Heroes Page

Thank you.