Bill Rodgers at the tape, 1979 Boston Marathon

Every time we compete there are people who win and those who do not. I searched the “greatest athletes of all time” and found a voting website with a top 10 list. Several of my “heroes” are on there, including Michael Jordan (#1), Roger Federer (#4) and Michael Phelps (#8). While we know all of these and many others to be winners, even they didn’t win every time they competed. Growing up, my favorite runner was Bill Rodgers. There were plenty more, including Craig Virgin, Greg Meyer, and Zola Budd. Bill and many others are still running. In fact, the last Gate River Run that I competed in Bill was there, and way ahead of me in the race.

I think that running gave me, more than anything, an appreciation for how we support each other in our endeavors. Most folks don’t think of running as a team sport. Cross-country, in particular, emphasized how we strive to do our best individually and how our individual efforts contribute to the goals of a team. The common goals of our team instilled in us a mindset of helping our teammates achieve their individual goals, too.

The greatest challenge in any competition is to be a humble winner; second, to be a gracious loser. (Click to Tweet)

Here’s my take on how that works:

Humble winners?

Our high school cross-country coach taught us that everyone who competes is a winner. He emphasized competing not against each other or the other teams, but to strive to be the best we could be individually. THAT made us all nothing short of winners.

We were like the island of misfit toys in our school… until we made it all the way to the State meet my junior year in high school, winning our conference and regionals. We finished 4th in the State of Florida. At that point we were noticed. And we got new uniforms the following year, a request that our coach was denied by the Athletic Director for the two years prior. I did win one race during my junior year, a 1/2 mile junior varsity event. I don’t remember if I was particularly humble about that. Probably not. Personally, I was way back in the pack most of the time. Did we win? Always. Every one of us. The last guy across the finish line did to! Our coach’s philosophy to be the best we could be and to only look within was our measure of success.

Gracious losers?

You know the saying that “winning isn’t everything”, right? I have no clue who originated it, but I did run across a recent story that may illustrate the meaning of being a gracious loser like no other…

Abel Mutai, a Kenyan competing recently in an international cross-country event, mistakenly stopped running about 10 meters short of the finish line. Running a close second to Mutai was Ivan Fernandez, a Spanish athlete. Fernandez realized what was happening and motioned to Mutai to keep running, allowing the Kenyan to win the race.

Fernandez’ comments:

“I didn’t deserve to win it. I did what I had to do. He was the rightful winner. He created a gap that I couldn’t have closed if he hadn’t made a mistake. As soon as I saw he was stopping, I knew I wasn’t going to pass him.”

Here’s the video of that event…

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The story says you first. And appreciation. It restores our faith in humility, and humanity.

Love it 🙂

Extending grace when we lose? Yep, that’s a humbled athlete. Everyone who competes is a winner!

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So I was thinking about peace since that is something that I try to write about here frequently. When I think about peace, especially on Veteran’s Day, my thoughts drift to those conflicts that affect us globally… fighting for a worthy cause. The big ones, like WWII. What if we chose not to fight? What would the world look like now? What if…

Interestingly, my thoughts today were focused on trying to foster peace closer to home, here in my own community… with everyone that I come into direct contact with. What if we chose not to fight? What would the world look like now? What if…

I came up with lots more questions…

What would that look like, to try to bring peace to my community?

Who would be involved?

What would I say, or do?

What if?

Do you feel like there is peace in your community?

I see a lot that can be done here…

I guess this is pretty much a continual process.

… and so I spent some time looking for the answers.

I think most of us find some form of peace in our own world.

Would we say that the battle is won then?

Maybe a lack of conflict doesn’t really define this word… peace, does it?

Peace… one typically will not find this until they seek and listen for the truth. Like maybe the whole truth. Maybe call this part wisdom?

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. James 3:13-18

These verses, to me, just seem to breathe with lovingkindness.

Sowing in peace… this sounds like it would take work. Like kneading the dough, if you will. Starting within… and working out from there.

Maybe today it’s just a kind word. A smile. Or even something that requires more thought, or even more effort… Forgiveness? Mercy? Or grace?

Grace… extending kindness to the unworthy. Why? Well, because that’s the example that Jesus gave us. But I don’t feel like it? Do it anyway. But I want justice? But maybe it’s not all about you (or me), right? Impartial and sincere… and for a noble and worthy cause.

An encore performance…

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. James 3:17-18

Peace, truth and grace…

Are we winning the battle?

What if we surrendered it all to God?

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Gracedrops and Puddles Of Blessings on the Horizon (I'll take some Flavor with that!)

The Hydrologic Cycle And Your Heart is a 6-post series about some of the choices we make and how they affect our heart.Please check out the other posts in this series here…

Filling the clouds makes them drippy and when the clouds get full the forecast says showers of precipitation are on the horizon…

Rain has always been a very soothing experience to me. I enjoy rainy days. Granted, too many in a row can be a little much… but there is plenty of good, clean fun to be had on rainy days.

I believe that only goodness comes out of the clouds. What? Yep, that’s right. I didn’t say we always get whatever we want… that’s not it. The goodness that falls out of the clouds includes gracedrops and puddles of blessings:

• Gracedrops. Grace is ours for free. We can’t possibly ever earn grace so Jesus took care of that for us. That’s huge. If we never received anything more than gracedrops from the clouds above it would be more than enough.
• Blessings. Puddles of them. Blessings are even more good news… working the right angle provides opportunity to receive the shower of blessings. Do you remember Ask… Seek… and Knock? That’s huge! And when you ask be sure to ask for something big and bold. Good, big and bold… dig it? That’s God’s Favor!
• Don’t let this part bring you down… the notion we weren’t put here to live an existence of heavenly bliss. Being in a growing relationship with Jesus is often a tough road to follow. Growing to be more like Him is a path filled with trials, temptations, and good as well as evil. That’s a part of living in the world we do. Think of this as Flavor.

Flavor + Favor + Gracedrops = The Perfect Storm!

Remember, what goes up must come down… what are you sending up and out of your heart?

Look around and see what you’re receiving in return…

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I know, sounds like a rain dance.

ask, seek, knock…
ask, seek, knock…
ask, seek, knock…

it’s really all just that easy…

prayers are being answered everywhere and that’s exciting!!

Some days the sky just seems to open up and drench us with His great love.

I’m thinkin’ being super soggy soaked is where it’s at (and to God goes the praise and Glory!)

One thing you can count on with absolute certainty is a shower of God’s Grace like rain whenever we repent, return to and follow Him. The people of Israel knew this well…

from Nehemiah 9:28-31 …

“But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight. Then you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion you delivered them time after time. You warned them to return to your law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, by which a man will live if he obeys them. Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen. For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you admonished them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you handed them over to the neighboring peoples. But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.”

Our God is a warm, loving, kind and compassionate sort… there with Puddles of Blessings for everyone who believes, faithfully follows Him, and simply asks… seeks… and knocks… and for that I’m very grateful and today wish to Shower Him with all the Glory 🙂

Blessings can come in all sizes, what do you have to be thankful for today?

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