The Elephant was Going

Tonight we got home from work a little later than usual and as I stood at the counter eating my supper Alexis came over to give me a little paper card she had made.
We opened the card and inside was a zoo of animal stickers all around the edge of the heart.
Alexis' imagination painted the scene for me: it was a race, Zebra was in the front but snake was cheating. He was trying to go under Zebra's legs! Hippo was in the back and seal was riding on the "tip-toe" of his fin on Hippo's nose. Seal had a stick to try and stop snake! Then there was Elephant, in the middle of the pack. "Elephant was going." she said simply, then added "He was going as fast as his legs could."

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

2 Timothy 4:7

Paul compared following Christ to a race. But it's quite interesting that in 2 Timothy 4:7 he doesn't say I won the race... he finished the race.

Last year I ran (walked) in a 5k charity race. I didn't finish first, and wasn't acknowledged at the end for finishing in any of the fast categories, but I finished.

The King James Version says that line in 2 Timothy a little differently: 

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

2 Timothy 4:7

I have finished my course. Even though we know this race we run isn't in competition with anyone else, we can still find ourselves trying to compete. Wanting to win or more so feeling as though we are behind. 

When I was running in the 5k race last year I had the honor of running by a very inspiring man. He was not young, but he did not let that stop him from pushing his son in his wheelchair the whole way. 

This man wasn't going to finish first, but he was going to finish faithful. 

I want to be like the elephant on my heart card, to be found going. Going faithfully forward on my course, not worrying about whose in the lead or if I'm going fast enough. I want to be like that father, willing to run for someone else, so that they can finish too. And I want to run looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith. For He is the One, like that father pushing his son's wheelchair, who will make sure I finish.