When I was a kid, I practiced judo for seven years. I loved everything about it—the techniques, the discipline, the competitions. There was something special about stepping onto that mat, facing an opponent, and giving it my all. But what made it even more extraordinary was looking over to the sidelines and seeing my mom, my dad, and my brother watching. Just knowing they were there gave me a boost. It didn’t matter how tired I was or how tough my opponent seemed—their presence gave me strength I didn’t even know I had.

In our spiritual life, we have a cheering section, too. The Bible says in Hebrews 12:1, “We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.” That means we’re not running this race alone. Heaven itself is watching over us, cheering us on, saying, “You can do it! Keep going! Don’t give up!”