“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith…” – Hebrews 12:1-2
When your team is competing in the European Championships for track and field, every point counts. For the team from Belgium, 2 points were the difference between staying in the competition and being disqualified from the championship round. Unfortunately, both runners for the Belgium women’s hurdles were injured and unable to compete. This was devastating news.
Thankfully, Jolien Maliga Moumkwo was able to step up and compete in the 100m hurdles for her team. Jolien made international news with her first ever attempt at running the hurdles. She did not win. In fact, she came in last… way behind the other runners. You see, although Jolien is on the Belgium track team, she does not run. Jolien throws the shot put. Jolien spends most of her training time in the weight room or throwing the 8.8 pound metal ball. She is extremely strong and a fierce competitor. She is not a runner.
Jolien did not want her team to suffer because of injury. She agreed to step up and help. She took her place in the starting blocks and when the gun went off, she launched into her first-ever race. Jolien did not knock over a single hurdle, mostly because she was so much taller than the average runner that she simply stepped over the hurdles. She completed the race successfully and gained the much-needed points for her country.
There are so many reasons why Jolien could not have and should not have competed, but she did not let that stop her. She was determined to help her team. We all have reasons why we don’t do the things we can do. Fear, worry, doubt, and well-thought-out reasons often stop us from running the race before us. Jolien reminds us that there are times in life when we simply need to get on our marks, get set, and run. God has set us free from so many of the things that hinder us. It is time for us to run, no matter the hurdles in front of us.
– Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
