Watching racing has taught me so many things. I have had many afternoons at a dirtbike track learning great life lessons. As a family we love cheering for Robert and so many of our favorite riders. The track is now part of our home.
As much as I enjoy the excitement of racing, I often find myself watching through a different lens. I see a sermon.
Every rider on that track has invested hours of practice, discipline, preparation, and sacrifice. They did not arrive there by accident. They have trained, studied the course, worked through injuries, and given everything they have to compete at their very best. These riders show up even on the hard days with injuries, with bike issues, with inclement weather, with rough track conditions and so much more but these riders are more determined and press through. Yet even after all of that preparation, life on the track can change in an instant.
A crash. A mechanical failure. A missed turn. One unexpected moment can move someone from the front of the pack to the back. And every time I watch it happen, I cannot help but think… Life is like that.
We seek the Lord. We spend time in His Word. We pray. We prepare. We work with excellence. We try to make wise decisions. And still, life can throw us something we never saw coming. A phone call. A diagnosis. A disappointment. A relationship that changes. A door that closes. The truth is, following Jesus does not exempt us from difficult seasons. But it does give us something the world cannot offer, a hope that is anchored in Him and a strength that rises every time we choose to trust Him again. What moves me the most is not always watching someone stand on the podium. It is watching someone refuse to stay down. There is something beautiful about a rider who gets back on the bike after a hard fall. Maybe they will not finish first that day, but they finish with courage. They remind us that perseverance is not about having a perfect race, but it is about refusing to let one difficult moment define the rest of your story.
I want that kind of endurance for my own life. I want our family to be known for getting back up. I want our children and grandchildren to see that our faith is not just something we talk about on Sundays, because it is something we live every day. That when life gets hard, we don’t lose hope. We do not quit. We do not become bitter. We choose joy. We choose gratitude. We choose to keep our eyes on Jesus.
The older I get, the more I realize that making memories with my family is one of God’s sweetest gifts. I do not want to rush through life chasing accomplishments while missing the people He has entrusted to me. I want to laugh more, encourage more, celebrate others more, and love more deeply. Because someday, none of us will remember every race result. But we will remember who we shared it with. We will remember the conversations. The prayers. The laughter. The hugs. The moments that reminded us how good God has been.
Most of all, I want my life to point people to Jesus. Long after the applause fades and every earthly race has been run, only what is done for Christ will last. The greatest legacy we can leave isn’t success but it is faithfulness. It is showing our family and the next generation what it looks like to love God wholeheartedly, love people well, and never stop running after Him.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight… and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” — Hebrews 12:1–2
So wherever you find yourself today, keep going. If you have fallen, get back up. If you have been discouraged, do not give up. If life has taken an unexpected turn, trust the One who already knows the finish line. Run with endurance. Walk in joy. Smile with strength. Love your family well. Cheer others on. Leave people better than you found them.
And when your race is finally complete, may it be said that you didn’t just finish but you finished faithfully, you loved generously, you pointed people to Jesus, and you left footprints that lead others all the way to eternity. That is the victory worth living for. And remember get back and stay in the race.
