Jordin Sparks glorifies God after finishing LA marathon: 'Anytime something starts to hurt, thank God for it'

Singer Jordin Sparks is trying to maintain a good fitness regimen in her life. The winner of the "American Idol" Season 6 even joined the Los Angeles marathon recently to underscore her determination to keep her body fit.

The "No Air" singer later admitted that the marathon was an incredible feat that she could not have completed without God's own strength. On her Instagram account (@jordinsparks), Sparks posted a photo of her medal.

"To God be the glory! I wouldn't have made it on my own strength. He is so good," she captioned it. "@lamarathon was such a challenge, but I loved it. I leaned on Isaiah 40:31 & Phil 4:13 all day. And, a good friend told me, 'Anytime something starts to hurt, thank God for it.' Another said, 'Think about why you started and PUSH.' And I did both of those things when my hip flexor gave out, when my left foot went numb and when my right leg eventually locked up. I remembered my why & thanked God for it all the way up to the finish line!"

Sparks said she is in great shape mentally. However, she could not say the same thing about her physical condition during the homestretch of the marathon when she couldn't feel anymore the lower half of her body. She said she "limped" the last three miles but was still able to proudly cross the finish line in her first marathon.

"I said yes Thursday because everyone kept telling me that I COULD do [it] and it was HIGH TIME I stop being the only one telling myself that I can't. That's why I accepted the challenge, to show God's glory & to show myself that I could. I CAN & I DID. Now...to figure out how to walk again," she said.

Before the marathon took place, Sparks asked her "prayer warriors" to send positive thoughts and pray for her and the other runners joining the marathon. She promised fans that she would finish it, even if she had to "crawl" all the way to the finish line.

related articles
How Rick Warren came to the rescue of Jordin Sparks in her battle with anxiety
How Rick Warren came to the rescue of Jordin Sparks in her battle with anxiety

How Rick Warren came to the rescue of Jordin Sparks in her battle with anxiety

Jordin Sparks Shares Her Love for the Bible: \'These Are So Much More Than Words\'
Jordin Sparks Shares Her Love for the Bible: 'These Are So Much More Than Words'

Jordin Sparks Shares Her Love for the Bible: 'These Are So Much More Than Words'

What Is The Most Important Commandment From God? Jordin Sparks Weighs In
What Is The Most Important Commandment From God? Jordin Sparks Weighs In

What Is The Most Important Commandment From God? Jordin Sparks Weighs In

News
Christian widows in Nigeria hold fast to faith as they rebuild lives after violence
Christian widows in Nigeria hold fast to faith as they rebuild lives after violence

Hundreds of Christian widows in Nigeria’s Plateau State are putting their lives back together after losing husbands, homes and livelihoods to violence.

8 killed in attack on church in Jordan
8 killed in attack on church in Jordan

In response to the shooting, Church leaders vowed that Christians will not be driven from their homeland.

The Christian candidate who lost the election but won my respect
The Christian candidate who lost the election but won my respect

Helen Spiby-Vann secured just 63 votes in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, but her campaign made me reconsider the value of an explicitly Christian voice in politics, writes Christian Hacking.

Can we afford the society we have created?
Can we afford the society we have created?

Is spending spiralling out of control? Should the state be doing everything we expect of it, or can we simply no longer afford the society we have created?