Track Meet

          Yesterday was the final track meet of the season for those who are not competing in districts, which includes me. It was a truly beautiful day. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and there was an ever so slight breeze that felt nice and refreshing. As I waited for my event and watched the other high schoolers compete, I realized different track is in terms of the crowd. When you go to a football game, the crowd cheers for their team and is silent when the other team scores or does well. At times, the audience may even boo the other team and things can get pretty nasty. During track, everyone cheers for each and every single competitor, and there is a great sense of liveliness and joy in the crowd. For a time I was watching pole vault, and whenever someone made it over the pole (which is very difficult, especially once it gets to about 7ft high for the girls) everyone from all schools cheered. Even if you did not make it over, everyone would go to that person and tell them congratulations anyway because they tried their best and that is what matters. During the actual track running events, people cheer the entire race, and the people that get cheered at the loudest are those in first and those in last. Even if you perform poorly, you never feel like you are bad and I believe that is why so many people join track. In other sports, if you are bad you get humiliated during a game, while in track there is a great sense of commadery between all the competing high schools. Track and field is also a great way to make new friends since everyone there has a similar interest in track and there is no hostility between other schools.
          While at the final track meet of the season, I made a connection between track and the Church. There are many people who are very holy and go to Africa to help the children, establish schools in third world countries, run charity organizations, and many other things. At times, the most someone can contribute is just a couple of hours at a local Church, homeless shelter, etc. That person may not feel as good as those who go all the way to live like Christ, but they may have a family, be in college or high school, etc, and just not have the time to do so. God greatlly "cheers on" those who contribute their life to God, but just like in track, God will not "cheer you on" depending on how well you are doing, but rather how much effort you put in to what you do. If you do what you can and compete with others in the run for becoming Christlike and seeking holiness, the crowd will always cheer for you, and you may just end up making many new friends along the way.