Hamburg Marathon

Team Ferguson at the finish line!

At the end of April, I (Jacob) completed my first ever marathon. I used to run half-marathons and did duathlons (run/bike/run) in my days before having kids. And after a long hiatus, I've been on a better health journey for a little more than a year now. I knew I wanted to participate in the Hamburg marathon on some level. I've always wanted to attempt a full 42k distance, but I never made it due to training injuries. This past year, when our missional community decided to put together a relay team of refugees and our multicultural team, I was excited and thought, I've done plenty of half-marathons before. This will be a good next step. But I quickly discovered there were only 4,000 half-marathon spots, and they were all sold out. Our team wanted to run the full marathon relay distance, so my option was either go for the full 42k distance a bit before I thought I would be ready to do so, or sit on the sideline.

So I went for it. 

My favorite activities (endurance sports, golf, woodworking) all remind me of a life of discipleship to Jesus. These activities take a long time to get good at, let alone master. They are like a journey, just like a life of discipleship to Jesus is a journey in becoming a person of love. This way of life stands in stark contrast to the current instant gratification culture. 

I learned a lot through the training process. I wondered often whether or not my body felt up to the task. I was excited and energetic, even though I was running in snow and ice for the first month of training. I hit challenging valleys when I didn't want to go run but laced up the shoes anyway. And then I dealt with the mental challenge of the taper down in training leading up to race day ...Am I really going to try this? I thought. Am I crazy? Am I really ready?

In the end, I finished, albeit not with the time I was hoping for. I passed lots of people on the side of the road injured, getting carted off on a stretcher, or just plain exhausted. Despite dealing with some dehydration, I told myself to keep going, keep pushing, no matter how fast or slow I would be. I didn't want to get knocked out. 

But this is what many of us experience in our spiritual lives too. Our sufferings or challenges give us the opportunity to produce endurance, which flows into our character, filling us with hope and love. 

When I began my weight loss journey, I would sometimes be frustrated. I'm doing this all over again, I thought. (I've lost weight and gained it back before.) But I began to realize that my children have had the opportunity to watch and understand all the changes I've made. Even though I wasn't even sniffing the race times of the leaders, my kids thought I was just as strong. In the same way, one of the most unexpected parts of this journey for me has been inspiring others. I know of several friends and family who have started running, training for a marathon, or changing their diet. Even the Turkish guy who runs the flower shop in the train station that I pass by every day started trying to lose weight! I've been surprised how many people were mutually encouraged through this experience. 

About the Author: Jacob Ferguson has been serving alongside the All Nations Hamburg Hub for 4 years with his family of four. He currently disciples, teaches, and coaches Persian refugees to know the truth of Jesus and to apply it to their lives.

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