Some of us were given an extra dose of God’s Spirit of adventure. If given the opportunity, I choose adventure! Someone approached me about 10 years ago to participate in this event called Ragnar Relay and immediately only knowing a few details, accepted. It’s an all day all night 2 day running adventure covering 200 miles. Not until halfway through my first Ragnar were the remaining details revealed: fatigue, soreness, hunger, cramps, regret, etc. I very clearly remember a conversation with a teammate about 1am on a Saturday morning somewhere in the middle of a dark street in LA. We both stared at each other and muttered the same words, “This is not fun anymore.” We completed the event about 8 hours later and I immediately reenlisted for the following year.

Running is not my strong suite, but I manage. Adventure, camaraderie, extreme exhaustion, and delusional behavior, that was the hook and has brought me back again and again. Is this the definition of insanity? No. Not sure what it is, but these are the ingredients that make up most of my unforgettable memories. This is the stuff that forces you beyond your limits, beyond your comfort zone, beyond your expectations. And sometimes it’s not good. Sometimes my response is, “That was awesome, but I’ll never do that again!” It’s akin to childbirth. You forget the pain; then your buddy calls and invites you to do it again. Is this insanity? I still say no.

Much bigger than my satiated desire for adventure, each runner commits to raising prayer and financial support for FaithQuest Missions. And they are affecting people, the church, and effectively bringing hope, love, and the gospel to people here and abroad. I am not only running to satisfy my earthly desire of adventure, but more importantly, for God, to further bring His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.

FaithQuest has rallied churches, teams, vans, volunteers, etc. over the years to participate in Ragnar. We participate via running, prayer support, financial donations, course volunteers, and more. God is so faithful. It’s so beautiful to witness again and again His faithfulness when we’re obedient to His whispers and nudges. We ALL have the opportunity to be used in mighty ways. If you don’t believe it, you haven’t tried it. I’m not saying go run a 200-mile relay, that’s crazy, but listen to God; He speaks to us in mighty ways! 

Matt Sather