The Epic Challenge
I will run the course of Your commandments, For You shall enlarge my heart. Psalm 119:32 One night I sat down and turned on PBS hoping to find an episode of Antiques Roadshow to watch. We have two PBS channels and that night neither one was playing Antiques Roadshow, so I picked what I thought was the lesser of the two dull choices, a Japanese race. As I sat playing cards, I would glance up from time to time, just to frown and comment on how crazy these men were to be running in such harsh conditions. I didn't realize it then, but I was watching the annual Trans Japan Alps Race. This eight day race, that starts at the Sea of Japan and ends at the Pacific Ocean, is over 257 miles long, crossing three mountain ranges and peaks that exceed 9,800 ft. Each runner carries a pack with food, clothes, and a tent. After looking up to see these men traversing steep cliffs in dense fog and rain several times I began to see a strange parallel to my own walk with Christ. M