Surrounded by a Great Cloud of Witnesses

In his book Unshakeable Faith, Max Lucado shares a true story about a friend who competed in an Ironman Triathlon in Lake Placid, New York. You can compete in Ironman races around the world in places as diverse as France, New Zealand, and Brazil, or you can compete in the original location in Kona, Hawaii (not a terrible place to visit!).

But Max's friend Dan chose to compete in Lake Placid, New York. Perhaps not as tropical as Australia or…