..did I speak too soon?
October 19, 2011 (Wednesday)
From the BBC we have this report about a British citizen by the name Fauja Singh: he has run a 26.2 mile marathon in eight hours, 25 minutes and 16 seconds. What’s so great about that? He is 100 years old.
He finished ahead of four runners, but behind 3,849 others. Being a centenarian, he has nothing to be ashamed of. His feat is still unbelievable.
O.K. so I made 80 sound old in yesterday’s blog. Sorry about that. I don’t run, however. So far, I’m only a walker, and I have not been faithful in that activity lately. Doctors commenting on the hundred-year-old marathon runner are saying that people have to keep up their walking or exercising or they will lose those abilities. I consider myself chastened and warned.
Our bodies tell us to quit trying, but our minds come to the rescue. The heart pumps less oxygen as we age from 20 to 60, and and muscle strength declines rapidly after 70. Ligaments and tendons become brittle and lung tissue stiffens. These things happen to everyone. That’s just the way it is. We can, however, minimize the effects of these changes by exercising will power as we exercise our bodies. By running a marathon, this man is saying, “I am not going to allow the world’s norms to tell me what is possible,” is the observation of a health expert in Georgia.
Two poems come to mind: “Keep a’Goin'” and “Don’t Quit.” And of course we cannot forget the words of the Apostle Paul, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Barring serious illness or disability, we have the motivation and the ability to do great things at any age, if we maintain the right attitude. Our Lord Jesus, the Apostle Paul, and other great people of history have taught us that outward action springs from inner thoughts. The source of greater physical stamina, then, is in our hearts and minds. Perhaps one of the greatest stories we were ever told when we were small children was the one about “The Little Engine that Could.” His, “I think I can, I think I can” won the day for himself.
Thanks, Mr. Singh. Not only have you helped yourself; you’ve inspired us, too.