This weekend I competed in a sort of extreme triathlon, they call it an adventure race. Now, since I am down here in South Louisiana the traditional triathlon of biking, swimming and running is out the window. Instead of swimming we canoe here, down on the bayou.
Why you might ask?
Well, it’s because when large amounts of Cajuns get in the water with large amounts of alligators only large amounts of bloodshed is bound to happen. Although it would make a great leading story for a newscast losing a limb is not on many weekend warriors’ agendas. So we canoe and we keep our fingers and toes. Maybe not as glamorous as swimming but safer and sometimes a safe choice is a good choice.
The smallest choices we made in our adventure race had big consequences in the outcome of our race. Choosing to cut through a unmarked path instead of following 12 other teams could shave minutes off of our time or get us hopelessly lost and covered in poison oak. And let me tell you something, poison oak is not as fun as it sounds! Choosing to keep going even though my legs are killing me and the Powerbar I just woofed down wants to come back up with every step I take will either make me a stronger competitor or prove that I am way out of shape.
It was crazy but as I was riding my bike 13 mph down a trail, risking life and limb, I thought to myself, choices have consequences, in adventure races and in life.
As a Catholic, choices are something that I deal with everyday. I choose to say my rosary while driving into work. I choose not to laugh when I see somebody trip and fall into a cow patty. I make a choice to pay attention during mass instead of watching the kid in the row in front of me stick the 8th Cherrio up his nose. I will, as my friend Tom Booth sings, Choose Christ. I choose to honor my God with the little choices I make everyday.
2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith
