Driving Force

For those of you who are unaware, my husband is currently training for the Ironman race. It consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run (yes, that's a marathon). Although I think he's pretty much crazy to put his body through so much, I truly have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for him. For the last 3 years, he's worked up to achieving this fantastic goal--and, lost 70+ pounds in the process. So, being in the triathlon "world" I'm exposed to so many amazing stories of people accomplishing this same feat.
No story compares to that of the father/son duo, Dick and Rick Hoyt. When Rick was born, his umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck and cut off oxygen to his brain. Thus, he lives a very limited existence compared to most. Somewhere along the way, his father started running marathons with him (Rick, of course, is being pushed in a wheel chair) and eventually got into the Ironman triathlons. Because he saw how happy it made Rick to be apart of these events, he just kept doing them. If you google their name, you'll find endless video footage of what it takes for him to push and pull his son so they can compete.
A few minutes ago, I watched one of those videos. It's so incredibly inspirational, you can't help but cry. But this time, I realized the beautiful metaphor of this father doing so much just to see how happy it makes his son. As I watched this young man smile and wave his arms, I thought about the fact that he probably has little to no comprehension of what his father has gone through for him to simply have some joy. There's no question that Rick faces challenges and hardships, but I wonder if he understands what challenges and hardships his father faces on his behalf?
Isn't it easy to get wrapped up in both our trials and triumphs and not realize what driving Force is getting us there? We cross some big finish lines without even a thought of what God has done for us to make that happen. Or maybe we're in the thick of it and feel lost and alone--like no one could possibly understand how difficult the situation is. But all along, it's God that's doing the heavy lifting for us. The Bible says to give Him all your burdens because He cares for you. And when you do, a divine trade takes place. He gives you a burden in return--it's easy and light.
Watch the video. Make the trade.