Senior Living

Iwas on the track team for 1 year at Brookland Cayce High School back in the early 70s.

Why? I don’t really know.

I knew that I was not good enough for other team sports and track seemed more like just an individual pursuit.

So I ran the half-mile. I wasn’t very good at it, and the best I ever placed was when I came in 3rd out of 5 guys.

But I finished every race I ran!

In track, “a kick” is that burst of energy and strength that comes out in the final lap.

In my case, since there are only 2 laps in the half-mile, my “kick” had to wait until I was in the home stretch if it was going to come at all.

When you reach age 65 or 70, something in your brain starts kicking in to tell you that you are approaching the bell lap of your earthly run.

If you are going to have a “kick” it may start happening when you are experiencing more aches and pains than ever before.

You press on because there are goals and objectives you have yet to reach.

If I can draw any comparison in life to my experience running a race, it’s that there is a finish line out there.

But I didn’t think about crossing the finish line while I was running – I had to focus on who or what was directly in front of me.

That is a Biblical truth for living. Proverbs 4:25 says, “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” And Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

There is a very quiet and reserved 83-year-old lady named Jackie in my church. She amazes me.

She participates in the Senior Sports games and has won medals in the mile walk, the 200-meter dash and the 100-meter dash.

She told me about her last race in the 200 dash where she fell down. She got back up and won anyway. I love that!

Jackie finished her race and won because she stayed in the race.

Next Week: When they were wrong