Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

  • Home
  • About
  • Books
    • Peace in the Process
    • Bringing Home More Than Groceries
  • Contact

Finishing the race

July 1, 2013 by Kristin Leave a Comment

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

{2 Timothy 4:7}

I ran in my third 5K since March this past weekend. I had trained the least for it, but my goal was still to run it all and finish. Since January, I’ve been “running.” I was diligent training for my first 5K  and ran regularly leading up to my second, which was a month ago. Between that one and this one, I ran twice. Only twice. Yet, I fastened that bib number, had my running playlist ready to go, and managed to do finish in a time {34:47} close to what I did the other two times {34:24.9; 33:48}.

I’ve run more than 2 miles exactly three times this year, all in 5K races. With training like that, you’d think I didn’t know 5 kilometers equals 3.1 miles. Obviously, I hesitate to call myself a runner. Really, I still don’t even like running. But I like finishing. 

But, you know, in order to finish, you have to start. 

In the two other 5Ks, I ran with my friend Emily, who wasn’t able to run this time. I wasn’t sure how I would do setting my own pace. But I managed to do alright. The first mile was a little slower than I would have liked, closer to 12 minutes than 11 minutes.

The hardest part for me is the middle. That 1.5 mile to 2.5 mile section is rough. I know when I’m there, I’ve made it half way, but I still have to go farther than I usually go. This 5K route was on residential streets. In this second mile, a guy was watering his yard … and us runners who passed by. I seriously thanked God for him. And it wasn’t even nearly as hot as it could have been.

I continued on. Nobody was running next to me. There were plenty of people in front of me and others behind me. I passed a couple. Several passed me. There were walkers and runners who were pushing strollers. There were lots of people younger than me and quite a few older than me. But nobody was running next to me. I’ve felt like that in life before. I have some of the best friends a girl could have. Our families are supportive. I’m an extrovert. Yet I’ve found myself alone before. The quiet can be good for my soul; the quiet can be haunting. Either way, it almost always brings about reflection.

Admittedly, I thought about walking. But I managed to run through the temptation. I remembered my goal and favorite part of running: Finishing. And then I thought about how running a race really is like life.

You have to start. Often the middle is hard. Maybe you’re waiting for a phone call. Or an invitation. Perhaps you are mourning a loss or recovering from a failure. Decisions can be hard. Enduring the mundane can make you weary. But there a blessings, like a spectator with a garden hose, along the way. Being grateful helps us continue. And then there is the finish line.

When I crossed the finish line, my 3 1/2-year-old boy was there offering me water. Apparently his daddy put him up to it, but, still, I can’t imagine a better prize. My 6-year-old girl captured my finish line. It’s not exactly flattering, but it’s real.

Finishing the race you start is always worth the hard stretches. I couldn’t hear them in that middle stretch, but my family was there, cheering me on. At the end, there is relief and refreshment. Accomplishment wins. God may reveal what he’s been orchestrating behind the scenes. If nothing else, you can say you did it. You endured, leaving your faith more confident.

________


I’m linking up with Jen Ferguson’s Soli Deo Gloria party, where encouragement abounds, as well as Jennifer Dukes Lee and other storytellers for #TellHisStory. 

Want more stories? Like 152 Insights on Facebook. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram. Follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’. Subscribe to receive “Insights in Your Inbox.”

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: faith, family, Soli Deo Gloria

Comments

  1. kasmith03 says

    July 2, 2013 at 10:27 am

    So proud of you!!

    Reply
  2. KristinHillTaylor says

    July 2, 2013 at 12:43 pm

    Thank you, Kristin!

    Reply
  3. Jen Ferguson says

    July 3, 2013 at 1:15 am

    I pretty much love any post about running, especially those equating it to how we live life. So glad you got out there! Maybe we can run together at the SDG retreat??

    Reply
  4. soulstops says

    July 3, 2013 at 4:05 am

    Kristin,
    You are a runner in my book…Congrats on finishing and running…I agree, the middle is always the hardest…takes the most perseverance and faith to finish…So impressed with you 🙂

    Reply
  5. KristinHillTaylor says

    July 3, 2013 at 12:20 pm

    You would run laps around me! 🙂 But I love your encouragement, so it would be worth it!

    Reply
  6. KristinHillTaylor says

    July 3, 2013 at 12:20 pm

    You're kind, Dolly. Thanks for your comment.

    Reply
  7. dukeslee says

    July 5, 2013 at 2:58 pm

    That picture at the finish? So precious, Kristin. Way to go!

    Reply
  8. KristinHillTaylor says

    July 5, 2013 at 3:02 pm

    I'm so glad my girl captured it! I knew giving her the camera was a good idea! Thanks, Jennifer.

    Reply
  9. Mel says

    July 6, 2013 at 3:33 am

    Way to go, friend! You ARE a runner…so proud of you! 🙂

    Reply
  10. KristinHillTaylor says

    July 6, 2013 at 4:12 pm

    Thanks, Mel! 🙂

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Let’s Connect

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

About Me

Telling stories is my therapy and I love sharing them with friends on my porch.

The main characters in my stories are my entrepreneur husband, our high school girl who never forgets, our middle school boy who has no fear, and our joy-filled first-grade girl. As we live out our stories, we seek God as the author of them all.

Learn more about my story here.

Subscribe for Updates

Recent Posts

  • How to enjoy motherhood
  • How & why to travel with kids
  • From snow to sand
  • Books of 2022
  • How to enjoy winter days at home

Join the Conversation

Join the Conversation

On Instagram

In a week filled with all the parenting emotions, In a week filled with all the parenting emotions, God has provided conversation with friends who understand, new mercies, a few walks and talks with a friend, and cinnamon rolls on a rainy Friday afternoon. I’ve been reminded when we are vulnerable and share our real lives, friends bring truth and goodness — often in ways we don’t expect but bless us anyway. 

#bettertogether #createdforcommunion #reallife #momlife #weekending #parenthood #choosingJOY #favoritethings #livingfaithfully
People ask when I have time to write. The truth is People ask when I have time to write. The truth is I like to make time to write, but sometimes it happens in the cracks of my days — at Panera, in the Notes app on my phone, at the library before I pickup my kids, or while I’m waiting on kids at activities. This week I edited my manuscript while Rachel practiced soccer. 

#momlife #writerlife #selfpublished #bloggerlife #authorlife #soccermom #thirdchild #createdforcommunion #bettertogether #favoritethings
I needed this weekend. The UK Wildcats didn’t I needed this weekend. 

The UK Wildcats didn’t win this afternoon like I had hoped. But following our house full of people on Friday night, I’ve spent a lot of time on my couch, under a soft blanket, with a book, while I watch #MarchMadness. 

Yesterday I pulled “When We Left Cuba” by @chanelcleeton from my to-be-read stack and then realized it was the second in a series about the Perez family. Thanks to @libby.app, I was able to get “Next Year in Havana” immediately. 

I finished it today during commercials and timeouts. And now I’m going to start “When We Left Cuba” as another basketball game also gets going. 

#KHTreads #basketballseason #weekending #bookstagram #reallife #booklover #librarybooks #KindleOasis #Kindlebooks #favoritethings
What a fun night! Basketball is best with friends What a fun night! Basketball is best with friends and food. So thankful for all these provisions and others in my life. Oh and a Cats win is icing on the cake. 

#MarchMadness #weekending #basketballseason #bettertogether #choosingJOY #BigBlueNation
You know it’s #MarchMadness when Greg Taylor pos You know it’s #MarchMadness when Greg Taylor posts on Facebook — and a picture at that! — and puts his radio/TV degree to work figuring out how to improve the viewing setup. 

#reallife #basketballseason #wifelife #choosingJOY
I had no idea just how deeply I would be affected I had no idea just how deeply I would be affected while studying Genesis 1-2. Going back to the beginning and seeing how God created, ordered, and filled the earth has been exactly what I didn’t know I needed, especially as a mom. 

For quite a while now, I feel like I’ve been living a day at a time. I used to be able to see my life in larger chunks of time and anticipate and prepare accordingly. Now, I slap things on the calendar and then deal with them as they come. Navigating life with two teenagers and a first-grader is the best and hardest thing I’ve ever done.

Honestly, this moment-to-moment living has been good for me and helped me rely on the God who created the stars and rivers that still exist in our world. Focusing on where I am helps me take slower steps, trust God to provide, and remember I’m not in control. I’ve felt an internal shift with my relationships — with my husband, kids, and friends. I’ve felt behind on laundry and dishes and piles of papers. But I’ve also felt a refreshed nearness to God. 

I’m going to rest here while believing God created life and light when there was only darkness and continues to order my days. 

#livingfaithfully #choosingJOY #momlife #faithlife #preceptstudy #genesisstudy #genesis #beginnings #reallife #PorchStories
My friend @ashleelyoung told me about this memoir, My friend @ashleelyoung told me about this memoir, but I knew nothing about Sutton Foster or her story beforehand. She’s a TV actress and Broadway singer and dancer who processes her life — complicated family life, love, loss, spotlight, infertility, adoption, motherhood — by creating. She creates in the kitchen, on stages, with yarn, with paint, with her hands, and with her mind. But her story really is all the experiences and emotions that inspire her creative work. I enjoyed this one. 

#KHTreads #memoirs #bookstagram #booklover #audiobooks #audible #bookreview
Also from the weekend: Shout out to @lifehousemurr Also from the weekend: Shout out to @lifehousemurray for putting on the fabulous @beautiful.you.conference with @meggpam from @shelivespurposefully. My girl and her friends had a great time together and my momma heart is thankful this is how they chose to spend a Saturday morning. 

#momlife #girlmom #teenagers #weekending #livingfaithfully #choosingJOY #latergram
Yesterday was one of my favorite kids of days with Yesterday was one of my favorite kids of days with some of my favorite friends. Kids played inside and out, the TV was never on, and new memories were made with old friends. Plus we ended the night with our ninth year of Little Hands Trivia Night. It was our worst finish ever, but we still had such a fun time! 

#bettertogether #weekending #livingfaithfully #choosingJOY
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Favorites

Categories

Archives

Copyright © 2023 Kristin Hill Taylor | Design by Traci Michele | Development by MRM