Note from Valerie: this poem was written by one of the pastors of Faith Alive - an extraordinary young man - Pastor Ben - who has made a significant impact on all of us.
THE RACE
Defeat! He lay there silently, a tear dropped from his eye.
There’s no sense running any more – three strikes
I’m out – why try
The will to rise had disappeared; all hope had fled away,
So far behind, so error prone, closer all the way
“I’ll live with my disgrace.”
But then he thought about his dad who
Soon he’d have to face.
“Get up” an echo sounded low
“Get up and take your place.
You were not meant for failure here
So get up and win the race.”
With borrowed will, “Get up,” it said,
“You haven’t lost at all
For winning is not more than this
To rise each time you fall”
So up he rose to win once more and with a new commit,
He resolved that win or lose at least he wouldn’t quit
So far behind the others now the most he”d ever been
Still he gave it all he had and ran as tough to win
Three times he’d fallen stumbling
Three times he rose again
Too far behind to hope to win he still ran to the end
They cheered the inning runner as he crossed
First place
Head high and proud and happy; no falling, no disgrace
But when the fallen youngster crossed the line, last place
The crowd gave him the greater cheer for
Finishing the race.
And even though he came in last
With head bowed low, unproud
Ou would have thought he won the race
To listen to the crowd
And to his dad he sadly said, “I don’t do so well”
:To me you won,” his fagher said
“You rose each time you fell.”
And now when things seem dark and hard
And difficult to face,
The memory of that little boy helps me in my race,
For all of life is like that race,
With ups and downs and all,
And all you have to do to win – is rise each time you fall,
“Quit! Give up, you’re beaten,” they still shout in my face
But another voice within me says,
“Get up and win that race.”
Therefore be encouraged with love from
Pastor Ben Chenjele
Faith Alive
Jos, Nigeria