I don't watch a lot of movies these days and I don't write as much as I used to. But once in a while, something happens to change all that.
I'm changing. Getting old and changing.
Secretariat is the name of a horse. A colt horse, but his real name is Big Red. I learned more from the horse than his owner but I'll start with the owner.
Shamelessly, forthrightly, boldly go after your dreams. Do it and never back down. Never give up. Let the thought of giving up never even come up. Don't consider it for a moment. Don't second-guess whether you made the right decision when things seem impossible. No, forge ahead fearlessly. Everything will part ways for you to come through when you have an undying, unyielding attitude. Never back down and you will succeed.
All that, I learned from the woman. They called her a housewife but she shook off the insults and showed them what a housewife can do. There will always be people like that, they are scared of you so they reach out and try to intimidate you every way they know how. Pay little attention to them, mere distractions they are. Keep your eyes on the goal and if they're smart they will soon join you. Now to the horse.
Big Red. Big Red was born for one thing. He was born to run. Almost all horses run but Big Red was born to run. It's his purpose and he knew it. He always came from behind to win each race. He always won no matter the increasing challenge. People doubted him. They said he's untested. He has never done this before. No one has ever done this before. He's too young. Excuses. These are what people were saying about him but no one asked him what he thought. Big Red was born to run, that's his purpose and boy did he run.
He always came from behind except for the biggest race of his life. For this race, he had to run faster and longer than he has ever run before. There was only one real opponent, Sham. Sham was not as fast as Red but Sham was made for the distance. Everybody knew that's where he shines. For Big Red to win he had to prove that he was both fast and had the endurance to win long races.
For this race, Big Red didn't start from behind, he took the lead right off the gate and kept it till the end of the race. They were saying, no horse can run this fast for this long. But Red was not just any horse. Red was born to run, that's his purpose. Red ran that race, beat Sham by a long shot and set a record no one else can beat. Big Red won. He did the thing he was made to do and excelled in it. No one could match him or come close. He was in a league of his own.
As I watched him run that final leg, the closest opponent a good distance away and Red still gaining speed, it broke me. I was in tears, sobbing like a child. I wondered if we are not like Big Red. I wondered if we were not born to run like him. Almost all horse run but Big Red was born to run. I wondered, what am I born to do? Am I doing it? Am I doing it with the same determination Red had? Or have I listened to people who make excuses for me, or the ones I make for myself?
I wondered if that's the true nature of the child of God. If they were meant to live in such a way that blows the world away and shows forth the wonder and glory of our Almighty God. I don't believe we should be just a little better than the world, I believe we should surpass the world with the strength, intelligence, wisdom, light and so much more, that can only come from Heaven. That when men see it, they shake their heads and say that's not possible. This is what I believe. And I want to see it in my life. I want to see it.
Run your race, live your dream!
-ONWARD!