Let's Finish The Race!

The Salt Lake Half Marathon was a big event!  Thousands of people were there and yet you felt so special for being there and trying to accomplish something so difficult.  Running a half marathon is very difficult- no joke!  13 miles might not seem incredibly long but when you are running it yourself it could seem an eternity.  Some parts of the trail were incredibly challenging and difficult while others were exciting and rewarding filled with cheers and shouts on the sidelines that kept you going.  I was running the race with three close friends by my sides.  Whenever one of us had a sore foot or tired knees we could recieve comfort and encourage ment from one another. After I finished this race I was more emotional than I thought I would be.  Cheesy I know, but this race can exactly be compared to our lives! We each are trying to complete our own personal difficult race.  Our own personal race is difficult.  It is long and sometimes it can hurt.  Times in our personal life race require the assistance of comfort and encouragement from friends.  Just as my friends with me on our race gave me the encouragement to keep on running and keep on going, we too can recieve comfort from our friends and family around us.  Even more so, we can recieve comfort from our dear friend, our Savior.  At times my thoughts in the race started turning down, I started to think there was no way I could finish this race strong... let alone even finish it at all!  Then I pictured my husband Kenny.  He was waiting anxiously for me at the end!  (With an embarrassing sign too I was sure)  He wanted me to do so well and was pumping me up before the race. I wanted so bad to have him see me finish the race strong with a smile on my face.  That picture alone in my head kept my legs moving, kept my feet moving, and kept my head up knowing that I could finish!  At time it's okay that the race is hard... it is suppose to be hard!  The important thing is to keep moving.  Keep putting one foot infront of the other.  Don't give up even when its hard.  The Savior is waiting for us at the end of our race.  He is our own personal fan, and is cheering each of us on.  Let's let him see us finsih the race strong with a smile on our face.  No matter what our final race time is, no matter how sweaty and tired we are.  He is still overwhelmingly proud of us for finishing the race.