Running in the Dust of the Rabbi

In a corral of about 15,000 people, Dustin Murray felt small. However, encouraging words flowed from the other participants which made the atmosphere vibrant. Then it happened.It was about 20 minutes into the race at mile marker four when Murray began to question the outcome. He even doubted if he would see the end.Then he looked at his wrists.It was so simple: “Increase. Decrease.”Something remarkable happened in New Orleans that day during the Rock and Roll Mardi Gras Marathon when Murray stepped in a pot hole at the mile four marker and broke his toe. At least Murray believes it was remarkable since it refocused his mind on God.Before breaking his toe, Murray was already suffering from a hip flexor injury and still recovering from the flu and bronchitis as well as plantar fasciitis. The pothole and the broken toe just added to his already lengthy list of ailments.“I really began to question whether or not I should even proceed to tackle the streets of New Orleans,” Murray said. “I knew my time would be bad when I engaged in a mile-long battle with a guy who was speed walking. He was probably 60, so it kind of hurt my feelings, or my pride. But God’s vision is always bigger and better than ours.”At this point in the race, he had to shift his focus from his pain to the scripture written on his wrists. He simply had written one word on each wrist from John 3:30. He wrote “increase” across his left wrist and “decrease” across his right wrist in black sharpie as his prayer and focus.After he looked down at the Scripture, the moment of grace happened. Murray adjusted his stride in order to continue running and complete the next 22.2 miles. The adjustment relieved the pain from a hip flexor injury.“When my abilities, as menial as they are, were stripped from me, God was cultivating a dependency on Him,” he said. “John 3:30 summed up my situation: ‘He must increase, and I must decrease.’ John said that and it blows my mind. For me to do anything in life, much less run 26.2 miles, He must take over – less of me and more of Him.”Murray began a year-long training for the New Orleans marathon after his uncle was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Then, Murray’s body refused to cooperate. He was plagued with injuries and battled sickness. However, he refused to quit. He was running in honor of his uncle who had a much more difficult battle ahead.“After the toe debacle, I dialed in to the fact that God must increase,” Murray said. “And then as I was running, the coolest thing happened. The ‘decrease’ side gradually faded, while the ‘increase’ side remained perfectly intact.”Murray began running several years ago. Of course as a child he ran, then in college a professor challenged him to run. But after marriage and 60 pounds of Mt. Dew and McDonald’s value meals, Murray took up the sport again, but merely to get in physical shape.“The second I realized that running was becoming an idol in my life, God became a part of it. Running is a great gift, but great gifts make lousy idols. God is teaching me to chase lasting crowns not temporal ones.”According to Murray, learning to rely on God in his marriage to his wife Brittany, in raising their three daughters, in teaching, or in running, has been the best lesson he has learned.“When I crossed the finish line, 26.2 miles and almost four and half hours later, words cannot describe how I felt,” he said. “Complete strangers, hundreds of them, were cheering me on. However, the race didn’t end for me until I saw Brittany and Izzie. It was a circus-like atmosphere at the finish line, but I just wanted to see my ladies. Brittany made as much a commitment to the marathon as I did. For me, she is a picture of selflessness and I am truly blessed to be her husband.”For Murray running has become more than just physical exercise.“Running exposes all kinds of weaknesses. In a sense it strips you bare in a mental sense.” Murray said. “Through running I have learned to persevere spiritually, mentally, and physically when I really feel like giving up. Running offers me an opportunity to spend uninterrupted time with God. It’s a chance to get alone with Him, no interruptions. It’s amazing how noisy life is and how much baggage we tote around.” 78