One of my favorite memories from childhood was of my last 7th grade track meet. I was a sprinter turned 800m runner and I was doing very well placing most of the time.

One of my greatest hindrances to performance was shin splints. Oh, they were so painful. If you know anyone who plays sports or if you’ve played them yourself, then you know that your love for the sport often superseded the inconvenience of pain or discomfort. So, there I was, making my way around the track almost through my first lap, when my shin splint pain returned. I couldn’t hide it and slowly my pace decreased until I was limping. One by one, my competitors began to pass me. I felt discouraged, but I remembered the words of my coach telling me even if I must run a lap alone, don’t give up! The competitors continued to pass me right to the finish line and I was left to limp the lap alone.

For the first half of this last lap, I truly felt alone. All the spectators were sitting on the bleachers farthest from me near the finish line, so it was very quiet in that moment. In my head I just kept telling myself to press on. But as I hit the curve into the last stretch of the lap, I suddenly heard what sounded like a chorus of voices calling my name and encouraging me to keep going. Amidst the voices I could distinctly hear my mom, sisters, and some peers. It was just the strength I needed. I couldn’t run any faster, but I was able to finish the race. When I made it past the finish line, I immediately collapsed from the pain of the shin splints. I remember being carried to the center field and some young guy attempting to stretch my legs. I was somewhat out of it, when I heard a deep familiar voice say, “She’s good, man, I got her.” Peering through squinted eyes, I was in disbelief to see my dad leaning down to pick me up. I had no idea he was in Virginia, let alone at my track meet. I felt like a rescued damsel in distress as he heroically carried me over his shoulders away from the stadium.

Every time I recall this story, my heart is warmed by how supported I felt running my race. I didn’t hear negativity when I turned that curve, I heard voices cheering me on, wanting me to finish strong, people who believed in me. When I made it to the finish line, I was welcomed with more support and love, not criticism.

You know what’s even more beautiful about this story? It’s a reminder to me that Jesus has been and always will be interceding for us in these ways too.

With all the difficulty we experience in our lifetime, we can be so clouded by our circumstances that we forget that Jesus is there to encourage us forward, to guide us by His Spirit, and has promised us the ultimate victory of spending eternity with Him where suffering will be no more(Rev. 21:4). He does not promise that He will make our race easier. He doesn’t promise that in this earthly life we will always win, but He promises He will be with us (Matt 28:20) and if were to take a moment to remember, we would recall the many times that He has been.

If you’ve never read John 17 in the Bible, I encourage you to do so slowly. There, you will read a prayer Jesus prayed for us. Yes! He prays for us! Don’t rush or skim it. Read every word as if He were in the room with you right now, praying those very words. I’ve read John 17 in the past, but when I read it again recently, I felt surrounded, known, and loved right in that moment. The enemy of our souls wants believers to constantly be discouraged that Jesus is angry with us or ashamed of us. He wants us to view Him as a distant dictator who’s not there when we need Him most. It’s not true. He knows that we are fallible and He’s also aware of the brokenness in our world because of the curse of sin. That’s what He died for. That’s what His resurrection was for. Jesus freed us from the power of sin so that we could run our race and finish well. He wants us to keep our eyes on Him instead of all the obstacles that distract us. He wants us to tune our ears to listen for His life-giving words instead of the mixed messages that the world gives(Galatians 5:1,7-8). To know that the God of the universe is cheering you on should make you rejoice. It should give you immediate strength to keep on running, even if you must limp your way there. Don’t be discouraged in seasons where you feel you’re running alone. Sometimes the Lord calls us to be set apart for a time to mature in Him, to be refined in our daily living, and for preparation for future assignments.