The Sound of the Train

On a brisk Saturday morning a while ago, I hit the running trail with my FCA Endurance teammates for an 18-mile training run. The trail was desolate, and over time my fatigued mind began to drift back to my warm car waiting in the parking lot. We were more than 15 miles into the run, and the thought of less than a 5K left begged me to push harder and finish strong, but still I just didn’t feel like giving it my all.

It was about that time that I heard a sound—one that meant more to me than it did to my running buddies. It was the sound of an approaching train, and its noise drowned out the heavy breathing of our tiring pack.

Through a personal connection, the sound of the train reminded me of one of my heroes, Peter Kohn, who had recently passed away. I thought of the influence this amazing man had on my life, and immediately my spirit lifted as I embraced the peace of knowing that he had finished his life for the Lord. When I thought of my friend Peter, I thought of Jesus Christ and the Scripture verse we used to describe Peter: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers” (1 John 3:16, NIV). The sound of the train reminded me of Peter Kohn because he lived out his life in a completely selfless way, much like Christ had.

As we pressed on in the final miles of our training run, I thanked God for His unending love and for the great gift of friendship. That simple train inspired me to finish hard, and I picked up the pace. When we got back to the parking lot, I explained to my friends the reason for the increase in my pace. Together, we reflected on the example of a great man and how he had inspired great action and inspiration.

So often our life circumstances cause us to feel weary and worn. At these moments, God often sends people into our paths who live in such a way as to remind us of His promises and principles. It is my hope that the people you surround yourself with today will be a reminder of Jesus Christ—that in your own version of a training run, you will be inspired to press on and finish strong for the Lord. And, perhaps, that through the Holy Spirit you can be that inspiration in the lives of others as well.