I attended a funeral home Monday afternoon to visit Jim, a good friend whose mother-in-law recently passed away. As I was chatting with him, he shared with admiration about his wife’s mother. He said that though she was in the care of Hospice and very weak, she wanted to keep their Christmas tradition of gathering together as a family on Christmas eve.

So, despite her condition, the night before Christmas, she was leading the troops in laughter and song with a big smile on her face. Jim said they even sang the traditional Christmas favorite One-Eyed One-Horned Flying Purple People Eater! He said that was her, someone who was very giving of herself.

Just hours later, very early on Christmas day, Jim received a call from his wife who told him through tears that her mother was dying. She had used up everything she had the previous evening celebrating the birth of her Savior with her large and loving family.

She did not end up passing away on Christmas, but made it all the way until late last week. Jim said that in the last two weeks, she was not herself because she was so weak. However, when visitors would come, she would come alive and bring out her patented smile. Again, giving of herself until the very end. She was a great example of running the race laid out before her and finishing strong.

The Apostle Paul wrote about these same characteristics that Jim’s mother-in-law modeled when he encouraged us with these words:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Romans 12:1