Inspiration from 1:30:39

It has been a while since I have used a race time or a bib number to look for inspiration.  Of course, it has been a while since I've raced.  (Last two were in November and I did not race a lot last fall.)  However, the most recent half marathon distance (Saturday) that I spent quite a bit of time describing in detail yesterday being my best ever led me to think again about finding something inspirational and writing about something about it.  I have found something that fits so well, particularly since yesterday my blog was not just about the running of the half marathon but the fact that it was only after multiple attempts of people to tell me something about my running that I finally listened and had a joyful result.

Since it has been so long since I've done this, I will point out that my habit since the 2010 Baltimore Marathon has been to find a Bible or other inspirational verse that is related to the time that I ran or the number I was wearing.  In this case, since I wasn't racing and wasn't wearing a number, I can go from my time.  What my time led me to was Luke 1:30-39.  (It would have been slightly easier if I ran a 1:30:38 but even verse 39 is useful.)  Here is the reading from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops website:
 

Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,* and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?”*
And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived* a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah,

Why is this so meaningful to me after a discussion about a lesson learned?  Well, it does not get the very start of when the angel first appeared to Mary, this is the story of someone presented with something amazing that led to joy (at least at first) and accepting it the first time.  Mary did not need more than one time to accept the news.  Mary accepted fully what was told to her and said simply "May it be done to me according to your word."  Then, in verse 39, she went out and began the "implementation" by going to visit her cousin Elizabeth.

 

There are more times in life than just aiming for negative splits in which listening the first time (or doing something after being asked the first time) would serve me well.  Now that I have seen how useful it can be to do what is suggested/asked, perhaps I should take that forward with me for my religion and my way of living in general, take inspiration from the example of Mary, and not wait so long to take advice that is well intentioned from people who know better than me and who are probably right.