What a great year we have stepped into coming off an interesting 2020. The year 2020 was supposed to be the year of perfect vision, but it seemed we were blindsided by many challenging obstacles.
During this new and exciting year, I challenge you to set goals and participate in events that will provide you with long lasting opportunities. Have you set any goals for this new year? I always like to think about the saying, “If you don’t know where you are going, how do you know if you are going in the right direction?” As the Bible says, we should follow the straight and narrow road but only few find it (Matthew 7:14). The Bible mentions that this is a road and path that very few find. What can you do in 2021 that will keep you on a focused and intentional road?
Growing up on a farm in Kansas, I learned a lot about what it means to stay focused and intentional with time and energy. On the farm, we had many animals to care for and many chores to do daily. One of the great lessons I learned is that there are no days off since the animals depended on us to feed, water and provide them with shelter. In life, we all have responsibilities to attend to everyday. What greater service do you have to yourself than to seek a resting place for your soul for all eternity? I like to think about our spiritual chores as a daily sign-in sheet. Also, when we have the right mindset, we won’t see spiritual disciplines as chores, we will see them as cherished moments that will keep our paths straight. When we seek God’s direction every day, His word will light the path to our steps and put a lamp to our feet (Psalms 119:105).
Through great lessons of stewardship that I learned from my parents and brothers, I have been able to have many opportunities. Some of the great opportunities I have cherished have been in education, athletics, coaching, teaching and preaching. I can see many parallels of my life and the life that King David lived. Simply put, he started out as a modest shepherd being alone most of the time, tending to his flock. Soon enough the daily disciplines and the training he did paid off and he became known as the shepherd champion eventually becoming the King of Israel.
What are some of the daily disciplines you engage in that will help you to become a better steward with what God has given you? Growing up I found great inspiration in Jim Ryun. Being a Kansas native, I knew the name and respected what he did as the greatest miler to ever live. I found out more about Jim Ryun by reading the book “Master of the Mile” again and again. My family spoke often about the famous Jim Ryun. What I found interesting is that Jim was incredibly disciplined and focused on his training with the goal to be the first high school runner to break 4 minutes in the mile. When we have goals, we can start planning a strategy to achieve that goal with discipline, consistency, determination and daily devotion. The more I found out about Jim, the more I was impressed with how he lived a life of giving back. After retiring from running, he served as a U.S. Congressman to Kansas for over 10 years. He and his family also started the Jim Ryun Running Camps. My parents encouraged me to attend the Camp after my freshman year of high school (2001). I had a great experience and loved it! You should all give yourself a chance to experience this amazing Camp (check out ryunrunning.com). I came back a second time in high school and then proceeded to become a counselor at the Camps during my college years. Now for over 10 years, I have been serving as the head Camp Coach. The most amazing aspect of the Camp is knowing it is a Christ-centered camp. Everything we do stems from the central core of Jesus Christ! When we properly plant our life with God in the center, our path and direction in life will be straight.
As a Camper, I found it so interesting to hear how Jim Ryun’s faith fueled his life on and off the track. I am thankful to say that the Camp gave me a better understanding of what it meant to have a personal relationship with Christ. Through the years of serving on staff, I have come to a place where all my decisions are based on what direction I receive from God through time spent in the Bible, praying, receiving counsel, and meditating on God’s path for my life. I hope you can all experience this wonderful environment where you will learn to run on the straight and narrow path.
Additionally, I have experienced an abundance of fruit from the path that I am walking. Due to injuries years ago, I had to evaluate if I wanted to continue to run. Through many prayers and petitions, God redirected my life. The first thing that happened was my Olympic dreams died. Since that moment of re-direction, I started running backwards, yes, in reverse. Upon making the switch, I was able to break the World Record in the Backward Mile in 2015. Since then, I have won 7 World titles and set 5 other World records. It is amazing what God can do if we allow Him to direct our path. On the coaching side, as a former distance runner, I started coaching cross country. I also started coaching sprinters, jumpers, hurdlers, throwers and pole vaulters. Even though I didn’t know much about those events, God positioned me to have greater influence and passion for these athletes. My passion has shifted into teaching proper running technique, jumping and technical weight training. This passion has allowed me to direct and teach all runners to perform at the best of their abilities to the glory of God.
God has an amazing path prepared for you that perhaps you haven’t even thought of. That path is going to be better and more rewarding than you can ever imagine or planned for yourself. I have seen that in my life and know that it is waiting for you in your life as well. I want to close with this great verse, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
(1 Corinthians 2:9)
Many Blessings!
