The Last Two Laps

Okay, I promised today we'd finish up with the chicken post in our "Meat Bird Trilogy," but we had another event that is not farm-related that I wanted to post about.  Tomorrow I'll finish up with our 2019 Cornish Cross Meat Bird Butchering - By the Numbers post.  I promise.

Benjamin is our senior.  He'll be graduating from a small country school in a couple of weeks.  He had an event tonight that we attended in Baton Rouge.  He does other things besides gathering eggs at home.  He runs track.  We enjoy watching him run.  Unlike his Dad, he is fast.  He has a nice long graceful stride and makes it seem easy.  It kind of makes me remember the quote from the movie, Chariots of Fire:

Eric Liddell: I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.

Benjamin's race is the 800 meters.  He's qualified for the Louisiana High School State Championships in his freshman, sophomore, junior, and now, senior year.  With this being his final run, he wanted to finish strong.  Only one problem: In the district meet, he injured his hip flexor muscle in his leg running in the 4 X 200 meter relays.  We were worried that with the injury, he wouldn't qualify for State, but he ran through the pain at Regionals and finished second, but well off of his best time.

Over the week and a half period between the Regional and State Meets, Tricia took him to the chiropractor, he stretched, he rolled out and jogged.  He was down, being his last track meet and not feeling healthy, but he wanted to give it his best shot!  We were so proud to see him out for his final run on LSU's Outdoor Track and Field Stadium.

He stretched and warmed up in anticipation of the starter's gun.

It was a perfect day for a track meet, and I thought, quite an honor to make it to this meet.  The stadium was full with people from all over the state, cheering on their competitors as the late afternoon sun cast long shadows on the track.

The runners approached the starting line, nervously stretching and jumping.  There were 9 competitors in the 800 meter run, many of which Benjamin has come to know over the past four years of competition.  It was exciting to see Benjamin's name on the board in lane 6.

On your mark, set... and the starter's gun was fired.  The runners blazed out of their starter's positions.  To me, the 800 meter run is a hard race.  It is a two lap sprint, physically demanding, grueling and with strategy as runners jockeyed for position.  Benjamin broke out in the lead, looking real sharp for the first 300 meters.  Then I could sense around the far curve that he was struggling.

He was determined though, and finished the race strong as I yelled loudly along with Tricia and my Mom & Dad, urging him on to the finish line.  Benjamin's personal best time in the 800 meters during his high school career was 2:06 and in the State Championship run tonight, he finished fourth with a time of 2:08.61.

He was disappointed that his injury prevented him from doing as well as he wanted to, but of course we are so proud of him.  He did fantastic.  Fourth in the state in his class is quite an achievement.  I never did anything as noteworthy as that in my life!  As he finished his final two laps, Tricia looked over at me in a bittersweet moment and said, "It's over.  This is the last track meet and in two weeks, he'll graduate."  In the hour and a half drive home tonight, I thought about the prospect of our up-coming empty nest.  This particular race may be over, but there are plenty of other finish lines ahead.  Keep your eye on the next finish line and keep on running, Benjamin!

Shiny Shoes and Cool Hairdos

For the last two Saturdays, we've been on the run - literally.  Benjamin is in his senior year and it is Indoor Track Season.  I don't think this existed back in the early 80's when I was in high school.  At least our high school didn't offer it.  This weekend we attended the Last Chance Qualifying Meet at LSU.   Benjamin is in the lower left hand corner preparing for his race.

Here he is lining up for the start:

And here he is speeding toward the finish line, running so fast it is just a blur...

Benjamin won his heat in the 400 meters and improved his times in both the 400 and 800 meters. After his run, we took a picture of him outside and then went and got a bite to eat.

Benjamin's Rooting Section: Me, Tricia, Benjamin, Mom, Dad, and Benjamin's coach, Chip Guillotte

The previous week, he ran at McNeese State University in Lake Charles.  It was a meet that had athletes from all classifications from Louisiana and Texas.  Benjamin's race is the 800 meters.  He has run the 1600 and 3200 meters, but has settled in on the 800 meters as 'his run.'

Except this time, his coach asked him to run in a new race - the 400 meters.  The coach wanted him to run that race for the speed.  Benjamin had never run the race before in a competitive meet and was a little nervous.  In fact, I was nervous, too!  The guys he was running against looked like grown men.  They had aerodynamic hairdos' and very fancy running shoes.

In the photo above, I know you can't see them real good, but the athlete on the right has some fancy gold shiny track shoes.  They sparkled like Dorothy's ruby slippers in the Wizard of Oz.  I took one look at the guys he was competing with and I had a bad feeling.  Their build, their shoes, their hair...  They just looked the part of  very serious track and field athletes and I knew Benjamin had his hands full.  I prayed that he wouldn't get left behind.  I prayed that it would be a competitive race.

On your mark, get set, and the starter's gun went off.  The runners were sprinting around the track.  In indoor track, 400 meters is two laps (whereas in outdoor track, it's only one).  Benjamin was right in the mix on the first lap and on the second lap he closed the distance between him and the only runner that was still left ahead of him and at the finish line, he leaned in and won the race!

So fast, he's just a blur!

Sometimes you don't need to read a devotional.  They just happen to you!  After Benjamin won I immediately began thinking about how I let external appearances affect my judgment.  I allowed the flash and show of shiny shoes and cool hairdo's to equate with success in the race.  It reminded me of the following verse in the Bible:

But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. 

1 Samuel 16:7

In that passage Samuel was anointing the next king.  He was looking at Jesse's sons and saw the oldest, Eliab, and thought, surely, this guy is the next king.  He 'looked the part.'  And that is when God told Samuel the verse in the bolded part above.  See, isn't like us.  His ways are better than our ways.  His thoughts much higher than our thoughts.  God doesn't look at the external in determining success or the winner in the race to eternity.  He looks at the heart.  Just as Benjamin's heart drove him to victory despite his non-shiny shoes, we as Christians "win the race of life" not by how we look from the outside, but by who (JESUS) controls our heart. 

Running Cross Country

One positive thing about being unemployed is that you are suddenly able to attend all of your kids' events!  This past Monday I was able to make the trip with Tricia to Natchitoches, Louisiana to watch Benjamin run in the State Cross Country Meet.  Natchitoches is the oldest town in Louisiana and was settled in 1714.  It is 144 miles away or 2 1/2 hours by car.  Tricia and I enjoyed the drive up I-49.  We live in very flat terrain and there are actually hills around Natchitoches.

The State Cross Country Meet is held on the pretty campus of Northwestern Louisiana University.  We watched Benjamin and his Hathaway teammates line up.  They are the team in blue in the center of the photo below.

On your mark, get set...

Go!  Ils Sont Partis!  That's French for "They're Off!"

In no time they were out of sight.  We hurried to the edge of the course so we could cheer them on as they ran by again.

Here they came running by.  Benjamin is in the far left of the photo with black socks and blue shirt.  He was looking tired, but determined as he ran past us.

The race follows a course that (true to its name) goes across the countryside before ending in the track stadium.  Benjamin and his teammates did a pretty good job.

It was nice getting a chance to see Benjamin run and cheer him on, showing him our support.  It was nice to also pick up a special treat on our way out of town that afternoon - Natchitoches Meat Pies!!  (Or perhaps in honor of the Cross Country Meet, you could call them 'Meet' Pies?) Ba dum bum...

Delicious!  We bought a box of 10 (6 spicy and 4 mild) and they were all gone the very next day!

One Lap To Go...

Our son Benjamin is a runner and is a member of the Gulf Coast Hurricanes, a track club in our town. He practiced for months and months, putting in grueling training from September of last year all the way through July of this year.  His events are the 800 meter run, 1500 meter run and the 3000 meter run, with the longer events being his specialty.

Various track meets were held throughout our State as well as Texas, Mississippi, and Tennessee. We attended each meet and cheered the old boy on.  He is a gifted runner and we are proud of him.

Running the Race

In particularly the longer races, runners may lose track of the number of laps that they have left to go in the race.  It is for that reason that there is a pedestal set up that has an indicator on it that communicates to the runners how many laps are left to go in the race.  An attendant stands by the sign and updates it with each lap. When the lead runner has one lap to go,  the attendant flips the indicator to '1' and vigorously rings the bell attached to the bottom of the sign that you can see below. This lets every runner on the course know that "this is it!"  It is time to dig deep and run with all you've got.  Give it your best kick for the finish line is in sight!!

Lap number sign along with Bell

At the particular race that Benjamin was running in on this day, the attendant charged with updating the Laps to Go sign got distracted.  He didn't flip the sign and he didn't ring the bell to let the runners know that they were on the last lap. Only parents who were monitoring their athlete's times, coaches, and/or very attentive runners knew that they were on the final lap.  Many of the runners didn't give it their best because they were unaware that there was only 1 lap to go and as a result, they didn't finish strong.  What a tragedy!

There is a very valuable lesson to be learned here in a spiritual sense, and as I thought about it, it made me think of some verses from the New Testament that are important to me:

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

Now obviously, if we are competing in a race, we're going to run it with endurance, wanting to finish strong, but here's the thing, like the runners in Benjamin's race - in our race of life, we don't know exactly when our race is going to end!  Our 'race' could end tonight or tomorrow or if the Good Lord tarries, we could die a ripe, old age.

Or if not in death, our race could come to an end in another way.  My Bible teaches me that the Lord will return one day for His Believers.  The Gospel of Mark states the following:

32 But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

33 “Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come. 34 It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert. 35 Therefore, be on the alert—for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— 36 in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 What I say to you I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!’”  Mark 13:32-37

You see, although there is no one to physically ring the bell to alert you to the end of the race, if you read the Bible, there are plenty of signs to tell you emphatically of His imminent return.  There's one lap to go!  Are you ready?  Are your family and loved ones ready?  If you aren't sure, there is HOPE HERE.

The race is almost over...  Finish Strong!!

And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.  Luke 21:28

Maranatha!

Running the Race Set Before Us

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 (NASB)

Benjamin, our fourteen year old, belongs to a track club called the Gulf Coast Hurricanes.  They practice every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.  They run for miles and miles and also do weight training once they've finished running on Thursday.  I get tired just thinking about it.  After months and months of practice, it was finally time for track meets and an opportunity to put all that training to work!

On Saturday morning, we woke up early and got all our chores done and then loaded up and drove to Baton Rouge where the first meet was to be held at Carl Maddox Field House, the indoor track stadium at LSU.  It was a stellar day - one of those days that you hate to be indoors on.  Russ and Laura Lee are students at LSU and they came and met us to watch Benjamin run like a gazelle.

Tricia, Benjamin,and Russ

Benjamin participated in two events - the 800 meter and 1600 meter runs.  He excels at the longer runs as he has lots of endurance.  We were very proud of him.  It was exciting to witness his races, yelling at the top of our lungs as he ran by, encouraging him to finish strong.  Finish strong, he did. He placed 6th in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:44 and 2nd in the 1600 meter run with a time of 5:52.

Benjamin (second from right) closing in on the finish line

In thinking about the race, it is a perfect analogy to our lives and Christian walk, and it that is why, no doubt, the Apostle Paul used the analogy of running a race in the opening verses of Hebrews chapter 12 that I posted at the top of this entry.  

Even if we never put on the running shoes or spikes, we're all in a race.  Each day as we go out, we're running and there are witnesses watching.  We train day in and day out.  Many times we fall.  More often, we tire and stumble.  And unless we are completely disciplined, we can be lured by that little voice telling us to quit, that it's too hard, that there is no way we'll cross the finish line.  Our bodies (and our minds) gets fatigued during the race of life and want to give up.  It is a daily battle.

A true competitor ignores the pain and the mental weakness that wants to lead us off course.  A victor perseveres to the end and crosses the finish line.  Victory is not for timid souls who fall prey to distraction and give up.  Is it easy?  No way! In fact the race is hard.  One can only succeed in this life by fixing your eyes on Jesus.  He provided our example and leads us to the finish line.  He is our 'coach.' He showed us how to overcome and in knowing Him, we have victory.

The prize - a medal!

There is a prize that we can look forward to.  Sometimes the prize is awarded quickly.  Sometimes you have to wait.  Benjamin went to the scorer's table at least three times before he was awarded his medal.  At last he was given his award.  We congratulated him and told him 'Good Job!"

That's what I want to hear one day when I stand before the ultimate "Scorer's table": "Well done, my good and faithful servant."  Many days the finish line seems unreachable and out of sight. Many days, I'm sure I disappoint my "coach" and the witnesses watching.  But I've got to endure to the end and consequently, until that day, I'll keep training, and keep fixing my eyes on Jesus.  He holds the meet record and he holds my future.

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.    

1 Corinthians 9:24

2014 Rice Run

September is National Rice Month.  We live in Jennings, Louisiana, which sits in Jefferson Davis Parish.  The primary agricultural product grown around these parts is rice.  I grew up on a rice farm, and farmed rice myself.  A neighboring town, Crowley, has the International Rice Festival, and it is timed to coincide with the culmination of the annual rice harvest.  As you would imagine, there is lots of rice consumed around these parts.  People eat 'Rice & Gravy' every day and it is not at all uncommon to have rice for breakfast - in the form of a steaming hot link of boudin.  Most convenience stores and butcher shops serve them to hungry Cajuns that walk up to the counter for breakfast... or lunch... or supper.

For the past 24 years there has been a Rice Run held in Jennings that starts at Founder's Park downtown.  It is put on by the Rice Council and Hathaway High School's Future Farmer's of America (FFA).  Our kids have run in it for several years and Tricia and I are generally spectators.  This year I thought I would run it with Benjamin.  It had been quite a while since I ran and for a few weeks Benjamin and I trained, running down the road near our house.  We had driven the car down the road one evening and measured the appropriate distance on the odometer.  The weather was hot.  The training was tough.

The day of the race arrived and about 190 people lined up at the starting line. Benjamin and I discussed our race strategy.  In the photo below you can see me imparting words of wisdom to Benjamin regarding the race.  Those words went something like this, "Benjamin, don't let me slow you down.  Run your own race and do your best.  I'll catch up with you later and meet you at the end of the race at the banquet table by the platters of boudin."  The starting gun sounded and we were off.

Plotting Race Strategy

Benjamin ran like a gazelle on the savanna of the Serengeti.  I huffed and puffed and the last time I was able to see him was around the one mile point.  He appeared as a blue dot on the distant horizon.

Benjamin with the strong finish

You can see him in the center of this photograph that Tricia took in full stride, in an open sprint at the finish line.

Benjamin Sprinting to the Finish Line!

I, on the other hand, trudged along like a sloth mired in molasses.  Every sinew of my body was screaming for a reprieve from this self-imposed torture.  Although I'm not out of shape, I'm out of running shape and a few weeks' training was not enough.  Working in the garden and on the farm does not use some of the same muscle groups as running.  Many of those muscle groups were communicating this to me during and after the race.

Kyle Limping toward the Finish Line

I finished the race, though.  Not near Benjamin.  He placed 22nd out of 190 runners.  He did great. Me?  Well, I set records, though not in the race, but at the banquet table at the end of the race, consuming copious quantities of boudin, watermelon, grapes, oranges, and four different types of Rice Krispie Treats.

We Finished the Race!

We'll do it again next year.  It was fun training with Benjamin.  Next year we'll start training a little more in advance.  Have a Rice Day!

Running the Race

Isaiah 40:29-31 

He gives power to the faint, 

and to him who has no might he increases strength. 

Even youths shall faint and be weary, 

and young men shall fall exhausted; 

but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; 

they shall mount up with wings like eagles; 

they shall run and not be weary; 

they shall walk and not faint.

I love that passage from the Book of Isaiah.  I find that it gives strength - supernatural strength and encouragement.  Do you ever feel like you need some of that?  I do!  Do you ever feel like you are in a race?  Not a sprint that is exhausting but over quickly, but a marathon that requires endurance and focus day after day, week after week, year after year.  That's life.  Sometimes you wonder how you are going to keep going and you long for that "second wind" that runners talk about when the endorphins kick in and you get that extra burst of energy you need to complete the race.  Sometimes that race is a figurative one and sometimes it is literal.

This past weekend, Benjamin was scheduled to run in a 5K (3.1 miles) in our town called the Rice Run. September is National Rice Month and our area is a big rice producing area.  The purpose of the race is to promote the rice industry.  We awoke to a rainy morning and made our way to Founder's Park in downtown Jennings where the race started and Benjamin stretched out and put on his "game face." 

"They shall run and not be weary."

At 8 am the race began and young and old alike started off. 

On your marks, get set, GO!

Twenty six minutes later I looked up and said, "Tricia, I think our old boy is coming up the road.  Go Benjamin!"

Coming in to the finish line

And just like that he whizzed by toward the finish line with us cheering loudly, encouraging him to finish strong.  I think there was maybe one other person as young as him that finished before him.  We were pretty proud of him.

Toward the finish line

Although exhausted (and feeling like he was going to throw up), I think Benjamin was pretty proud of himself, too.  He finished the race and finished strong.

"I'm tired, Momma!"

Sometimes in life the race is long and hard.  Sometimes we want to quit.  Sometimes we want to pull over to the side of the road (and throw up!).  Hopefully, we have loved ones that surround us, encourage us, minister to us, and keep us in the race and heading toward the finish line strong.  Then we can reciprocate and help others toward the finish line.  At the finish line of this race there was plenty of fruit, drinks and boudin to be enjoyed by all the participants and other rewards that were passed out.  At the finish line of life, the stakes are higher and the rewards much greater.

Endurance

Stay in the race and FINISH STRONG!

Hebrews 12:1

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us