Identity

A couple weekends ago I went down to Huntington, WV to watch my oldest daughter perform in a show choir competition and stayed just down the street from the campus of Marshall University. Being a big sports fan, I love to watch movies that are about sports and in particular I love watching true stories about real events in history.

The movie We Are Marshall is a story about a day in November of 1970 when the football team of Marshall University was coming back to Huntington from Greenville North Carolina when the charter jet they were flying in crashed, killing all who were on board.

The few players and coaches that were not on board took on the task of rebuilding the program and struggled mightily with losing all of the members of their football family. One of the biggest things they struggled with was their identity! They knew that they went to Marshall but they struggled trying to understand why they were spared from death. In the end they realized that it was not something they could control and they began to chant 'We are Marshall'!

Since I was in Huntington and I was only about a mile from the campus, I thought what a cool place to take a morning run! As I took off, the movie was playing in my head and I was wondering things like, did they film the movie here? I wonder what the area was like back when the tragedy hit? I wonder how the University remembers this group of people. Quickly I came up to the football stadium and ran across the athletic facility. On the side of the wall is painted 'We Are Marshall.' The rest of that run I pondered the meaning of this phrase...

What does it mean? Why did it resonate with the people of the time? Why is it so known and understood now? I came back to my room and posted the pictures on my Facebook page and wondered how long it would take for someone to comment with the 'We are Marshall' phrase.

I uploaded them at 8:35AM and at 8:50AM I had already had one 'We are Marshall' comment. So what was God teaching me on this run? I think I figured it out on my way home on Sunday. He was telling me it is not about me! It was not about those that were killed! It was not about those that survived! It was not about a movie or a city! It is all about our identity.

I think one of the biggest things that I get out of a long run is a true understanding of who I am and what powers me. When I set out on a long run, I plan to run out so far and then run back. On the way out all seems good as I am fresh and still excited about running. The way back is a different story. Many times I am truly humbled and begin to cry out to God for help on my journey. With no other way to get back home, I have to rely on my legs to get me there!

Paul tells us in the book of Romans that if we are truly believers of Christ that we have died with Christ and He now lives in us. So what does that mean to me when I run or do anything? It means that it is not me that is running but Christ's spirit running in me!

So to me if God is good, powerful, strong, wise, and never fails or fades, then I can depend on Him to get me through anything that He puts on my heart. Notice the subtle difference here! I did not say that He would get me through anything I want to accomplish, He will get me through anything HE wants to accomplish through me. Further, He states in His word that He has begun a work in me and He will see it through to an end! Praise Him!