My Renfro Rock ‘N Run finish; photo credit: Jason Varney
Jeff running Wine Country Half Marathon 2012; Photo credit: Wine Country Half Marathon
This morning, as I laced up my running shoes, I couldn’t help thinking of Jeff’s final 1/2 marathon race six years ago, the Wine Country Half-Marathon in Healdsburg, California. That crisp October morning felt similar to this morning (cool, yet perfect for running), and the course was beautiful, winding through the hills and vineyards of California’s beautiful wine country. This morning’s course was equally stunning, cresting rolling hills (some steeper than others) and along the picturesque shores of Lake Linville.
As I considered the lush backdrops of these two races–one that occurred before our nightmare with leukemia, the other happening in the midst of widowhood and single parenthood–this scripture flashed in my mind like a neon sign:
“So, I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, and the chewing locust…You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God.” (Joel 2:25, NKJV).
This scripture connects with the phrase I repeated throughout my training: “Sin has lost its power, death has lost its sting.” This is a line from the praise song, “Marvelous Light,” (based on 1 Corinthians 15:55-56). I have listened to this song on many of my training runs, and it became the truth I would speak when the sun beat down too harshly or my quads felt like lead blobs that I could drag no farther. It was a strong reminder that whatever defeat I felt in that moment was a lie of the enemy.
Death and destruction did not stare me in the face today, but the whispers of defeat grabbed at the corners of my mind and tried to pull me into thinking God is not on my side. That is a constant struggle for many of us. Things in this life are difficult; it may even seem that our lives are stripped bare from the devouring locusts. But for those who follow Jesus, we have a promise of restoration. We are more than conquerors. We walk among lush, green pastures, mountains or vineyards. We are led to still waters, (like Lake Linville, the calm stream I passed on mile 10, and the necessary water stops along the way). Death pursues us. It pursues our loved ones, but it has no REAL power. It can achieve no victory. Not anymore.