You Gotta Have Heart

A few weeks ago I watched the movie Secretariat and as is my habit after being inspired, enlightened, or utterly confused by a movie I "Googled" it to learn more about this Thoroughbred's amazing story.

To be honest, as soon as my husband said he was going to rent the movie I told him, "We've already seen that movie... it was called Seabiscuit!" I thought all horse movies were the same... not so!

Secretariat was the 9th US Triple Crown Champion in 1973. He won the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. To this day he still holds the Kentucky Derby track record of 1:59 2/5. During this race he was actually accelerating during each quarter mile of this one and a quarter mile race!

Secretariat also finished The Belmont Stakes way ahead of the pack. He won by 31 lengths and to this day holds the record for the fastest 1.5 miles on dirt finishing in 2:24 flat.

But of all the accolades he received none is more astonishing than the gift God gave this horse: his heart... literally.

The average horse's heart weighs 8.5 pounds. The veterinarian that completed the necropsy on Secretariat estimates that Secretariat's heart was 22 pounds. It was, per the vet, larger than his Triple Crown rival's (Sham) heart which was weighed and found to be 18 pounds.

Dr. Thomas Swerczek necropsied both horses and thousands of horses prior to Secretariat and said that when it came to this famous horse, "He was completely out of everybody's league."

Think about it! A 22-pound heart! I went to the bowling alley recently and had trouble lugging around a 12-pound bowling ball! But 22 pounds of heart beating in your chest? Incredible.

Secretariat was given a gift... and he used it. 

In a world where you can be anything I encourage you to BE YOURSELF! Use the gifts that God gave you and run your race!

Your victory awaits!