Run your race.
Yesterday the boys walked on to the soccer field for the final time this season.
There was no glorious finish.
No epic goals that won the game.
No ESPN worthy saves that clinched the victory.
Nope.
They lost.
As I reflected on these final moments of this soccer season, I can’t help but feel like the loss they received was a lie.
Sure the score yesterday showed an L for their season record, but they didn’t lose.
They won.
Each of them. In very different ways.
At only five and half months post transplant, Brady won by just being out there.
Sure he isn’t as fast, but his sheer grit and determination makes him a winner in my book.
Sometimes he reminds me that he can’t keep up with the other boys. The other night we were standing in the kitchen when he brought it up again.
So I had to remind him, “Brady,” I said holding his shoulders so he had to look me square in the eyes, “run your own race. Worry about the battle you have overcome and no one else.” I continued, “do you know how many kids five months post transplant are doing the things you are doing?”
He shrugged his shoulders.
“Well let me remind you. None.” I replayed his report from his physical therapist. “Literally no one else has accomplished what you have.”
Why do we do that? Why do we constantly look around to see who is running faster or further?
God doesn’t care who wins the race.
He cares about the heart of the person racing.
He cares about the character that was developed during training.
He cares about the integrity that comes during the competition.
He cares about how you treat those who lose to you.
He cares about how you treat those you are victorious over.
Trophies gather dust, news stories fade, and statistics are forgotten.
But the quality of your character?
That remains forever.
I love this verse in Hebrews, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, 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 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith”
Throw off everything that hinders us and run our own race…
Not our neighbors race. Our race.
Brady’s race is much different than everyone else’s on his team.
But the doubt? The worry about if he is good enough? If he is strong enough? If he is fast enough? Those doubts and worries are only going to hinder him from running the race God has planned for him.
He has to run his own race.
And you do too. We all do.
And do you know what happens when we stop worrying about everyone else and we focus on our race ahead?
We realize that sometimes losses aren’t actually losses at all.
I’ve gotten emotional the past week thinking about the closing of this soccer season.
This club, our coaches, this team, well, it helped bring my son back to life. It gave him something to fight for. It gave him a reason to get out of bed. It gave him light in the dark places.
Im not sure if our Pride SC family will ever possibly be able to understand the enormity of the impact they have had on our family.
Even in the losses, we won.
We won big time.
Shields up.
Swords out.
Go run y o u r race,
Kristin
#waytobattle#waytobattleBrady#leukemiawarrior#transplantjourney#Bradybeatcancer#runyourrace#PrideSC