Finding a Good Life in the Ironman

To have a really good life, things need to balance. You can eat as healthily as you want, but if you never move from in front of the television set, does it complete the picture? I have a friend who is finding the balance for his life. The way he has found would leave me unable to move for weeks, but for him, it works.

My friend’s name is Patrick. He is a worship minister at a church. A worship minister’s job seems like it would be pretty easy. You go up front, lead a few songs and sit down. Some do lead worship like that. But Patrick doesn’t consider that worship at all. He believes, passionately, in three things about what he does:

The people up on the platform are servants—to God, and to the congregation

Worship is a gift laid on an altar

Each person on the worship team must have clean hands and a pure heart before presenting their gift.

Because the congregation where Patrick ministers has such a wide variety of people who attend—from newborn babies to people in their 90’s, from non-Christians to people who became Christians 70 years ago—he doesn’t please everyone all the time. And Patrick is the first to admit that he isn’t Prince Charming, he’s just Patrick. So there’s always someone who disagrees with the music he chooses, or how he plays the old hymns (he loves rock ’n roll and jazz).

In addition to his work at church, Patrick has a thriving business at home. You know the music and talking you listen to while you’re on hold? He hires musicians to play music for that and he writes and reads the advertisements. His business is called, appropriately enough, Holdtime. So, next time you’re on hold, you might hear my friend, who knows?

Patrick has found his balance. Yes, he has his faith. But he found he needed something for a release valve. So what does Patrick do? Nothing much. He just runs marathons. And triathlons. And half-ironmans. He is training for the ironman competition that’s coming up.

Some people shake their heads, wondering whether he has been too close to a loud speaker, and maybe it rattled a few marbles loose. How can swimming across a lake, then running 13 miles, then riding a bike for more than 50 miles relax anyone? He must be crazy.

But since Patrick has been training for these competitions, he is the happiest I’ve seen him. And it’s proving to be contagious. His wife, who is a brown belt in martial arts, is beginning to run. So far she’s up to the 5K. Patrick’s friend, Nathan, ran in the last triathlon with him. So did his dad, as well as Adam, a young man who helps with the sound system. Adam’s wife, Jamie, ran, too.

Patrick wasn’t satisfied with his performance in the last triathlon. He finished in the middle of the pack. He wants to do better.

I say, go for it!