“I have always believed in dreams, I thought I was strong . . . invincible. I resented weakness . . . denied it. Have worked all my life to prove it was not a part of me.

This last year, I have realized how imperfect I am. Along with the entire human race, I am weak. Jesus is my only Hope. . . .

I know what it is to be scared.

Tonight, I am no longer the self-assured, brave person I once was. . . but I am running my race to the end.

I am not getting off. . . not qutting.

I am living out all I committed myself to in my YES book. . . to hurt, pain, loss, death.

Tonight, I still know YES pays, it leads me to the finish line.

I am running straight to the end, even if I have had to crawl part way” (Ann Kiemel Anderson).

In the race of faith, it’s not about finishing first but finishing faithful. It’s not about running a fast pace but running with perseverance.

I love the idea that those who persevere to the end will be saved, and those who are saved will persevere to the end. It’s not an either/or but a both/and.

Because I know that it’s not up to me. Some days if I had my way, I’d quit. I’d walk away. But the Bible says that the same God who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it. The faithfulness that counts in the end is more on God’s end than on mine.

I will finish. I might not cross the finish line, but I will finish. I might be barely crawling by the end, but I will finish. Not because I am so fast or so strong but because that which lies ahead is so much better than anything I leave behind.

“If you can’t run, you walk, and if you can’t walk, you crawl, and if you can’t do that… you find someone to carry you” (Malcolm Reynolds, Firefly).