I was at the Anderson Invitational track meet several weeks ago when something interesting happened. Immediately following the boys 4×200 relay finals, the Anderson team was disqualified because they had two runners cross the finish line. Apparently, after handing the baton to the anchor, the person running leg three continued running and followed the anchor all the way across the line.
 
After being told of the disqualification, trying to figure out what in the world happened, the coach went directly to the kid running leg three and asked if he crossed the finish line. The kid said he continued running in an attempt to cheer on his teammate.
 
A meaningful reflection of Jesus happens when we run with others.
 
The apostle Paul referred to life as a race, and his exhortation was to not just to finish but to claim the eternal prize which is waiting for those whose hope is in Jesus. We run the race as individuals, but we have the opportunity to be good teammates and run with others. 
 
Running with others can be:

Encouragement — Actively giving support, hope, and confidence is a valuable gift we can share with others. In order to effectively give encouragement, we have to do life with them and know of what they are attempting, and going through.
 
Cheering — What if you became known as the best person to call and share good news with because of the way you responded? People who give comfort and support through shouting for joy and praise of another will always have opportunity to make an impact.  
 
Presence — Sometimes running with someone is more meaningful than anything we can say. Putting in the miles alongside an individual so they don’t have to run alone may be our best expression of love and encouragement.
 
Every one runs their own race. You can’t run the race for someone else, but we can run our race alongside others as we go. Let’s be attentive for opportunities to run in such a way that helps others run their race.
 
Keep Reflecting Jesus!