My heart pounds in my chest; I try to slow it's rhythmic pattern by inhaling deeply, but it continues racing out of control. I'm positioned, ready to take off at the sound of the gun.
This is the race I have been waiting for my whole Life!
I focus my attention ahead, pressing my hand into the terf at my feet. The other racers step into place one by one, their bodies falling in line with my own.
There is a split second of silence before the shot rings out through the air.
My body jerks into motion, arms and legs pumping along to the beat of my heart.
I run, and nothing is stopping me from finishing this race.
Over the past few years i have grown to love running. The simple effectiveness of the exercise fills me with joy and accomplishment. I am able to set goals and push for improvement. I challenge myself to run further, faster, and longer, and each victory adds to my joy.
Although running may seem irrelevant to many of you, I can promise we are each putting one foot infront of another on our own race through life.
Before each run I pray for strength, I pray that my body will function properly and I will be able to perform to the best of my ability. I pray that I will arrive safely back home to my loving parents and siblings.
I believe my prayer before coming into the world wasn't much different.
I try to imagine what it was like in heaven before we came to earth. Was I anxiously waiting to gain a body, or terrified to leave our loving father in heaven? I believe it was a mix of both.
Before running, an energy and excitement courses through my body. I long to pick up speed and take off, leaving my worries behind. But still I hold onto thoughts of potential injuries or accidents that could occur, preventing me from finishing the race. But despite those fears, I still choose to run.
While in heaven anxieties and fears most likely captivated our thoughts, we knew of the potential harm and illness that might occur during our life on earth. Yet dispute all that we still chose to accept God's plan.
Why?
Why would any of God's children choose to leave him for a world filled with pain and anguish?
I know why.
It is because we knew and trusted in God's plan. Although we would experience emotional and physical pains, we knew our savior Jesus Christ would never let us suffer alone.
We knew that following God's plan was the only way to become as he is. So whether we recognize it or not, we chose to come to this earth and gain a body, beginning the race of our lives.
As I round the corner, I can feel the burn in my legs and chest, but I chose to focus on my breathing. I take in a large amount of air though my nose and let it out through my mouth.
Racers pass by and I adjust my posture to match their own. Head held high, shoulders back. I lengthen my stride and smile. All I ever wanted was to get on this track. A determination burns through me to finish what I started. No matter the circumstances, I will push through to the end.
Our life on earth is not easy, but there is one principle that I would like to challenge each of you to focus on. Enduring to the end.
We can choose to focus on our trials, or on the savior Jesus Christ who is the breath if life. I know as I study from the scriptures and turn my thoughts outward instead of inward my anxieties start to fade away. As I put my life in the hands of the savior, he will carry me to the finish line.
Although each of us will experience hardship, whether that is the death of a family member, depression, physical or mental disabilities or even struggling with our faith in the gospel, I know that when we endure those challenges and trials trusting in the savior, he can make those burdens light.
Running isn't always easy. After a while your legs begin to burn; you feel like no amount of air is enough to fill your lungs. The temperature rises and sweat begins to form and bead at every pour. Your body screams for you to stop, just stop.
But then you remember the goals you have made. You remember the people on the sidelines cheering you on. Your family and friends who are watching your every move.
You look around and see no one else is giving up, so despite the pain, you push harder. You move faster and run longer.
No one is running the race of their life alone. Those in heaven and those on earth are cheering you on, but most importantly our heavenly father and Jesus Christ are cheering for you. They know you can make it to the end because you are a child of god; it is your destiny to become like our father in heaven.
So don't give up!
Push through your trials, accomplish your goals and finish the race faster and stronger than when you started.
I can see the finish line, over time i have begun to slow, my breath is coming out in ragged huffs, but I pick myself up and Sprint, moving faster than before. I spread my arms wide and blink away tears that fill my eyes as I cross the finish line.
I slow to a stop. I made it! Cheers fill the air and I recognize the soft voice of my father.
He pulls me into his arms and every pain vanishes.
"Well done my child" He whispers, wrapping me tighter in his embrace. "You made it."
Brothers and sisters, I know that our father in heaven is waiting for us to finish the race of our lives and return to his embrace.
You are never alone!!
Run further, faster and longer than you have ever run before, and I promise you will find comfort through the atonement of our savior Jesus Christ.
You are loved.
-In the name of Jesus Christ amen.
This week was tons of fun and lots of work!!
my companions and I had a fabulous week and had 6 people come to church who we are teaching!! There are 3 almost 4 people on date for baptism! My companions are amazing and we are going to visit NASA this P-day!
I am in Texas City. I apologize for the super short email the last week
I finally have my phone back so I can actually email haha.
The trip to Texas was pretty amazing! When we arrived there was 17 of us serving as new missionaries so the group was pretty big. I am in a biking area and I love it!! Some areas where we bike we can see the ocean and it is so beautiful.
I have had potatoes and meat over 7 times while I have been here! It is their favorite thing to eat.
The ward here is small, it is actually just a branch because there isn't enough people to make it a ward. Sunday we had a Linger longer where we are tacos and the whole stake came! (That may sound big, but it was probably half of my home ward all together)
There is tons of cicadas here and they scream all the time
I am having an amazing time and I love you ALL so much!!!
