Run For Your Life

This week in my SpotOnTheLake post, I talked about honoring our good friend, Cheryl Kniffen, who died of cancer this year.  (Earlier posts below on 3/14 and 3/19)  I am running a 10k at Lake Hartwell on Saturday and will be honoring Cheryl’s life with a contribution to Relay for Life, which is an organization that she was passionate about.  Cheryl was an avid outdoors person.  She loved to walk, run, hike and play tennis.  She lived life to the fullest, and it was all for the glory of God.  Even towards the end of her life, when she was in great pain and confined to a wheel chair, she was running the race – and winning.

From prison, under the threat of death by Nero, Paul wrote these words to Timothy who was his partner in ministry.  “You take over. I’m about to die, my life an offering on God’s altar. This is the only race worth running. I’ve run hard right to the finish, believed all the way. All that’s left now is the shouting—God’s applause! Depend on it, he’s an honest judge. He’ll do right not only by me, but by everyone eager for his coming.” (2 Timothy: 6-8, The Message)

My dad also died of cancer. Several years ago.  He was full of life, too.   While he never met Cheryl, he would have loved her.  During my quiet time this morning, I saw this overwhelming image of Dad and Cheryl together shouting, applauding and encouraging me to finish the race.