The Person Who Invented

THE PERSON WHO INVENTED the elevator had the right idea. Walk into a box; press a button; watch the doors close. And when they reopen, you see you’ve been magically transported to another floor. It’s a beautiful thing—but there’s not much sport in it.

Running up stairs may not seem like much of a sport either. But sprinting up 86 flights of stairs at the Empire State Building certainly takes a lot of athletic ability. Every year runners gather at this New York City landmark to race to the top. And from 1999 to 2003, Paul Crake won five straight times.

Legs pumping, heart pounding, lungs burning, Crake cranked his way up 86 floors in 9 minutes and 53 seconds in his 2000 victory. With that win, he became the first person to break ten minutes in the competition. Since that time, he’s broken his old record twice. His 2003 trek to the top took just 9 minutes and 33 seconds—his fastest time ever. Of course, race officials still beat him to the top . . . taking the elevator.

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POINT The race up the Empire State Building began in 1977. While running up 86 flights of stairs may not sound too difficult, it actually involves climbing up 1,576 stairs to make it to the top. As one of the world’s best tower runners, Paul Crake pushes through the pain and sprints up the tight hallways, which are filled with stagnant air.

Some people think that once they accept Christ their life will become one long walk through a flowery field. But God never promised that. In fact, the apostle Peter said the opposite. He explained that Christ’s followers shouldn’t be surprised when they suffer. Sometimes life can feel like a never-ending stairway—it’s tiring, hard to breathe, and difficult. At those times, we need to follow Crake’s example of climbing toward the goal and keeping our eyes focused upward!

GOAL! What would you choose: a flat walk or an uphill climb? You might naturally like to take the easy way. When life becomes difficult, remember Jesus’ suffering and thank him for helping you reach the top.