Don't drop the baton

"The time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; finished the race, kept the faith. The crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord will award to me on that day." (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

Paul referred to life as a race, and I compared it with a relay.

Like a relay, where one hands an oncoming runner a baton, we must continue and finish what we've started -- regardless of what happens in life -- to survive or succeed. If we lose our focus, we need pick it up again and keep going.

Life consists of constant transitions. How we handle alterations and prepare for each season of life determines the final outcome.

I'm confident that during Mary's pregnancy, she often wondered what she'd gotten herself into. Joseph definitely wondered, before the angel appeared to him in a dream.

Mary and Joseph made numerous changes in their lives to meet God's expectations, beginning with their search for Jesus' birthplace. Then, as all parents must, they watched Him change from infant, to youth and finally into manhood.

Mary observed Jesus' humiliation and crucifixion, still remembering his infancy. But she never gave up. Instead, she adapted to each sacrifice and ambiguity she encountered, never dropping her baton. She moved without bitterness into each phase of her life. Mary could say at the finish line she had competed well, finished the race and kept the faith. She won her prize of eternal life.

We must do the same by finding what our skills are and how we can best use them -- listen to the Holy Spirit to find out if our desires are from us or God. For it's easy to fool ourselves and lose the race. One can make it almost to the finish line and still be defeated.

During each stage of our lives, we need to review our strengths and re-examine our weaknesses. They change over time. Then we can remain flexible enough to meet new challenges confronting us.

We must choose positive over negative feelings, realizing the goal of life is not just survival but well-being, love and service. By recognizing we're here to do good and help others, we can change the course of the track. If we drop our baton for awhile, we can pick it up again and continue the race.

In shifting from one circumstance to another, we can counteract anxiety by planning strategies to cope with potential problems. During the holidays, we can learn how to give and receive more blessings from the season.

Seek others' company, talk positively to ourselves and recall what situations brought sadness in the past -- then devise ways to avoid the same scenarios. Christmas, Easter and other times of family togetherness produce both joy and anxiety. When our usual pace changes to hectic overstuffed days during extraordinary times, we can remember they come infrequently. We'll understand we can survive anything for awhile and keep going.

In talking with restaurant manager Jackie, I relearned a truth. Fourth-grader Kara said she had a test at school. When asked how she did, Kara quickly said, "Good, it was easy." I knew Kara studied meticulously, and I informed Jackie. "That's why you did well," Jackie said. "You were prepared. Anything in life is simple if you prepare."

Relays are easy if you're in good physical shape and gifted and you persevere. But they're difficult when you're unprepared and unlearned and quit too soon.

We can be confident we'll eventually succeed in attaining our goals on earth and, like Paul, obtain the highest prize of all -- eternal life. "For life isn't measured by how many breaths we take, but by the awesome moments that take our breath away," (George Carlin).

Ellen Shuck is director of religious education at St. Mary Cathedral.