God's Coaching #322

God's Coaching #322

Many start exercising to lose weight. Miki Gorman started running to gain weight. She weighed only 87 pounds! Miki thought exercise would make her hungrier so that she would eat more and put on a few pounds. That was in 1968, before many women took part in running. Female marathon runners were even more rare. At the 1967 Boston Marathon, a race official even tried to physically pull a woman runner off the course—just for being female.

Miki ran her first marathon in 1973, when she was 38. Later that year, she set an unofficial world record! She went on to become the first and only woman to win the New York and Boston Marathons twice (Boston in 1974 and 1977 and New York in 1976 and 1977). Miki thought mental discipline was a big part of her running success. She had learned to be mentally tough growing up very poor in Japan after World War II. Even with her name in the record books, Miki views her greatest accomplishment as building a successful life in the United States after having left Japan with only $10 in her pocket.

What’s the Score?

Hard work pays off. That doesn’t mean you’ll always win, but there is always something to gain from giving your best effort. You might learn something that pays off right away. Or you might look back later in life, like Miki, and see how discipline and hard work made you stronger.

It’s easy to slack off or to think there’s no point to what you’re learning in school. Don’t give in to that kind of thinking. The Bible tells us we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7-8). In other words, we get out of life what we put in. That’s true spiritually and physically. How’s your work ethic? Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and sweat? Work hard in whatever you do, and watch the good results happen (Proverbs 12:14).

On the Ball

Get a job. Be creative and find ways to earn extra money around your house or neighborhood. Working hard is good.

Coach’s Comment

Wise words bring many benefits, and hard work brings rewards. Proverbs 12:14