Run Your Race plus a Giveaway

Last Sunday afternoon, the weather was so glorious that my husband and I walked the kids up to the park.  As we walked across the soccer field, I said to my almost-4-year-old daughter, "Race you!" McKenna loves to run, and broke into a sprint.

Me and McKenna

I did the parent thing, where I moderated my speed based on hers. Sometimes I edged in front of her just a bit, which made her squeal, "No!" and other times I lagged behind. So long as McKenna was looking ahead and paying attention to where she put her feet, she ran great. Fast and smooth


But whenever she glanced at her competition - me alongside her, or my husband on the sidewalk with our youngest - she would stumble. Or drift in the wrong direction. Or, one time, she fell flat on her face.


After her big fall, when she was whimpering a bit and clearly trying to figure out, "Am I hurt enough to  throw a fit, or should I just keep running?" I brushed her off and, after verifying that nothing was broken or bleeding, said, "McKenna, that happened because you weren't paying attention to what you were doing. Don't look backward or at me and Daddy, okay? Just pay attention to running."


Saying so triggered the words from Hebrews 12:


"...Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith."


How often, I thought during the remainder of our walk home, do I let my eyes wander from my race?


Particularly what came to mind was writing. Writing is the part of my race that causes me to struggle the most. Not the doing it part - I continue to love writing. What I struggle with is keeping my eyes on the One who called me to write, on taking the next steps I feel He wants me to take.


Sometimes I do well.


Other times I start glancing at those around me, gauging myself and my security by their location. Are their book ideas more creative? Are they getting nominated for awards? What are their sales numbers like? How many people read their blog? How many pieces of reader mail do they get a day?


You get the idea. I get distracted. I stumble. I drift the wrong direction. Sometimes I flat-out fall.


I need to print out the above scripture and keep it in my office as a reminder that God does not expect me to be anybody else. The only race I'm expected to run is mine, the one He marked out for me. And the best way to do that is to keep my eyes on Jesus.


These are the first two books in The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series, two books that were part of my race, that God put in my heart. I would like for you to have them.

To get entered to win a free copy of both Me, Just Different and Out with the In Crowd, leave a comment with how you think you're doing in your race. Are you on track, even if it means crawling? Are you spending more time checking out the competition than you are running? Or maybe you're still figuring out God's plans for you, what he wants your day-to-day life to look like. There's no wrong answer. (Contest closes Sunday, November 20th. One entry per person. US residents only.)


Stephanie Morrill is a twenty-something living in Overland Park, Kansas with her husband and two kids. Her only talents are reading, writing, and drinking coffee, so career options were somewhat limited. Fortunately, she discovered a passion for young adult novels and has been writing them ever since. Stephanie is the author of The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series and is currently working on other young adult projects. She enjoys encouraging and teaching teen writers and does so on her blog www.GoTeenWriters.com. To connect with Stephanie and read samples of her books, check out www.StephanieMorrillBooks.com.