Missed opportunities and procrastination

Somewhere about 2003...the dream of running the Boston Marathon came to mind. 26 miles, something they call Heartbreak Hill and strict qualifying times make it a difficult endeavor for most recreational athletes. After several marathons, in 2009 I began training for 5 1/2 months at 5am most everyday to run the Marine Corp Marathon in Washington, DC. I had to finish with a qualifying time for my age group of 3:20:59. in order to register and run  Boston that following spring. That beautiful and chilly morning in the nations capital standing amongst 20,000+ runners the fruit of my arduous labor would be put to test for the 26.2 miles. The result? I came in #750 out of 20,000 runners, but the clock said 3:21:41...42 seconds too slow. I could not believe it!!! 42 seconds? So great my disbelief and so great my determination,  that I ran another marathon just 3 weeks later thinking I could reverse my bad fortune...only to be plagued with an injury that made the effort pointless and even painful. Sadness eventually turned to hope when I found I could still qualify for the following year with my Marine Corp time for the 2011 race because of changing age categories (I'm getting older). So here we are...fall of 2010 going online to register for the 115th Boston Marathon in the spring of 2011....what did I find??? Registration Closed. It closed within 8 hours of opening...unprecedented! That's where missed opportunities and procrastination comes into play.

So now what?  Where do I go from here? I think scripture is making a significant message to me..."make the most of every opportunity". A quick perusal of the word would reveal that each moment of our life counts for something. God has indeed planned great opportunities for us all, many times all we need to do is...act.
"I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation". 2 Corinthians 6:2 and the list can go on. Missed opportunities are sometimes not big mistakes...just little errors when we are not "Managing the Moment"...(I put that in quotes because that is huge for me and plan on teaching on that in the near future).

The lesson for me today, and lifelong...make the most of every opportunity. Don't delay, procrastinate, assume there is more or much time. If I've been called to LOVE, then LOVE fully and completely now, if called to LIVE by FAITH, then LIVE with abandonment, if called to GIVE, then GIVE wholeheartedly. LIVE LIFE with a PASSIONATE pursual of all things HIM. 1 Corinthians 9:24 "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize."

So whats next? Time to go look to run another Boston qualifier Marathon within the next 11 months. Even if it does mean 5 1/2 months of training and running in 10-95 degree weather at 5 am....remembering...that physical training has "some value"...and that the physical pursuit must match the spiritual pursuit where the prize lasts forever.