I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
2 Timothy 2:1-5
You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules.
1 Corinthians 9:24
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
Sometimes, I feel like I give people a wrong impression that I like running. Well, yeah, it's fun in a way and when the adrenaline kicks in, it feels like you're in a high. However, after what Auntie Sweeny said in church, I'm suddenly reminded of how painful running can be despite the adrenaline, especially when you know 'you have another 30 km to go and your body aches due to the lactic acid buildup'. It's so easy to give up the race because it's the easier way out. Our body cries to be rid of its misery and it's certainly tempting to give up our prize for a little temporary self-gratification.
Similarly, many a thing in life is comparable with running, not just the marathon race of faith. For me, I suppose my current penchant for staying back in Malaysia has become a bane for me. I know my goal is to complete my studies in the US and yet I'm being held back -- pulled away. There's a part of me that just wants to give it all up and forget about my prize.
Yet, as I ran today in my usual half-hour run around SS18, I realized that it's worth to ignore the pleas of the lactic acid. I was half-dead trying to reach my halfway point and realizing that I have another mile to go, but I persevered and finished my run -- and it felt good! It might be far easier to give up halfway through the course but what do I gain? I'll only end up regretting for doing so.
Tonight, I'm making a resolution. I've decided to close this chapter of my life on the day I leave Malaysia in two weeks time. Yes, Simon, I agree, it's not like I'm not going to see y'all again, right? I need to move on. I need to get my life on the track again. Summer vacation is over for me and I’m going to accept that. It has been fun being around in Malaysia but I’ve got some business to settle. Can’t be letting my feelings to dictate me around. It’s not easy but I’m going to persevere. God thank you so much for always being with me! (Joshua 1:9)
