There is a race in front of you. Not a casual jog through a pleasant park, but an agonizing, demanding, sometimes brutal course that requires everything you have. The ancient Greek word used in Hebrews 12 for "race" is the root of our English word "agony." That is not an accident. The race of life is hard. It is painful. It will bring suffering and challenge and seasons where you are not sure you can take another step.