Grit, God, and the Wall That Doesn’t Win

This past weekend, I crossed the Eugene Marathon finish line with a time of 3:24—a goal that once felt far off, but now feels like a chapter I’ll never forget.

But it wasn’t just the miles that mattered.
It was the mental battle.
The quiet moments where I prayed for strength.
The whispers of doubt that crept in during mile 22.
The ache in my legs that told me to stop—and the louder voice that said: “One more step.”

And I promise to you, God was with me the entire way.

I asked for health, courage, wisdom, and His presence.
And when it got hard—really hard—I felt Him close.
Not removing the pain, but running with me through it.

This goes beyond the race.

Because life throws walls at us constantly.
Not just in running shoes, but in breakups, job losses, burnout, fear, temptation.
And the only way through?
One step. Then another. And then another.

I think about ‘The War of Art’ by Steven Pressfield, a book I always come back to.
It talks about resistance—that invisible force that shows up when we’re close to breakthrough.
Pressfield says resistance is spiritual. It’s the enemy. It tries to keep you from doing what God called you to do.

And when you give in to resistance?
You’re letting the dark side win.

But here’s the good news:

God has a plan.
But it’s up to you to move your feet.
To push through the resistance.
To get up early.
To show up when it’s not glamorous.
To stay in the fight, even when it hurts.

Grit isn’t pretty. But it’s holy.

So wherever you are right now—
In the middle of a battle, behind on a goal, feeling stuck—
just remember this:

One step at a time.
God walks with you.
And resistance doesn’t get the final say.

Stay in motion. Stay grounded. Stay grateful.