During the 1975 Boston Marathon, Bill Rodgers was the leader of the race at
the 17 mile mark. In fact, Bill was leading by over 200 yards to the next
competitor. And the news at this point gets even better. He is 38 seconds
ahead of the pace to break the race record.
So, it becomes incomprehensible that Bill Rodgers would decide to stop at
17.6 miles to get a drink. And it would not be the last stop that he would
make throughout the race. Every time that his body would require water, he
would stop and drink it.
“I know that everyone thinks that I am crazy to stop, but it helps me. If I
don't stop, I can't drink- it just splashes. I can only get down a couple of
gulps each time, so I stop because I need it.”
That was not the only thing Bill Rodgers stopped for. He stopped at the
twenty mile marker to take off the gloves that he wore from the start of the
race. Oh, and decided to very calmly re-tie his shoes. In terms of
competitive marathon running, Bill Rodgers was doing everything possible to
lose the race.
By the end, Bill Rodgers had set a Boston Marathon record, ran the fifth
fastest marathon of all-time, and beaten the second place finisher by 2
minutes.
What a great story. So, what can we learn from it?
Bill Rodgers stopped. Right smack dab in the middle of one of the biggest
races in the world to get refreshment. Can you imagine what people were
thinking?
Jesus didn't wonder what people were thinking when He stopped for some
refreshment. In Mark 6:31, Then Jesus said, “ Let's go off by ourselves to a
quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people
coming and going that Jesus and His apostles didn't even have time to eat.
They could not keep up the pace without stopping.
The saying, “If the devil can't make you bad, he will make you busy”, is
very true. But, sometimes our “ life racing” causes us to become distant
from God; because we are not getting the proper refreshment we need. The
prayer, meditation, and study that keeps us hydrated, fed, and focused on
running a winning race in this life.
Bill Rodgers was stopping and refreshing to win a race. Jesus Christ was
stopping and refreshing to win lives. May we learn from Jesus and Bill to
stop splashing and dashing. Take the time to get refreshed, and live to win!
*"I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint."
*Jeremiah 31:25 NIV**
*~ Tom Rogers ~
the 17 mile mark. In fact, Bill was leading by over 200 yards to the next
competitor. And the news at this point gets even better. He is 38 seconds
ahead of the pace to break the race record.
So, it becomes incomprehensible that Bill Rodgers would decide to stop at
17.6 miles to get a drink. And it would not be the last stop that he would
make throughout the race. Every time that his body would require water, he
would stop and drink it.
“I know that everyone thinks that I am crazy to stop, but it helps me. If I
don't stop, I can't drink- it just splashes. I can only get down a couple of
gulps each time, so I stop because I need it.”
That was not the only thing Bill Rodgers stopped for. He stopped at the
twenty mile marker to take off the gloves that he wore from the start of the
race. Oh, and decided to very calmly re-tie his shoes. In terms of
competitive marathon running, Bill Rodgers was doing everything possible to
lose the race.
By the end, Bill Rodgers had set a Boston Marathon record, ran the fifth
fastest marathon of all-time, and beaten the second place finisher by 2
minutes.
What a great story. So, what can we learn from it?
Bill Rodgers stopped. Right smack dab in the middle of one of the biggest
races in the world to get refreshment. Can you imagine what people were
thinking?
Jesus didn't wonder what people were thinking when He stopped for some
refreshment. In Mark 6:31, Then Jesus said, “ Let's go off by ourselves to a
quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people
coming and going that Jesus and His apostles didn't even have time to eat.
They could not keep up the pace without stopping.
The saying, “If the devil can't make you bad, he will make you busy”, is
very true. But, sometimes our “ life racing” causes us to become distant
from God; because we are not getting the proper refreshment we need. The
prayer, meditation, and study that keeps us hydrated, fed, and focused on
running a winning race in this life.
Bill Rodgers was stopping and refreshing to win a race. Jesus Christ was
stopping and refreshing to win lives. May we learn from Jesus and Bill to
stop splashing and dashing. Take the time to get refreshed, and live to win!
*"I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint."
*Jeremiah 31:25 NIV**
*~ Tom Rogers ~
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