Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.
Hebrews 12:1
As I sit here this morning, I am struggling to figure out exactly where this year has gone. This is the last day of October. The weather has cooled down considerably and I have been fighting the urge to listen to Christmas music. I love this time of year. Last Saturday I ran my first ever half marathon. Up until a few months ago, the furthest I had ever ran was a 10K my senior year of high school. Mind you I ran that race without training very much at all and felt horrible after 4 miles. Since then, when I ran I would stick to 5K's (never forgot that feeling). I had always tossed around the idea of a half but had never just committed myself to doing one and preparing for it. Seeing that I turned 40 this year I decided it was time. I talked with my brother about it and we began training. We selected the Spinx Half in Greenville. The October 26th date would mean cooler temps and I had heard it was a great race to run.
11 weeks from race day we began our training plan. We endured hot days, muscle cramps and all sorts of aches and pains we had never had before. My brother battled knee pain and I struggled with foot issues. (In my mind I still try and convince myself I am 20 however, on some days during this process I felt 87.) Towards the end of our training I even had an 11 miler that my body completely shut down. I felt what I had seen others go through on TV. My arms and legs were shaking and I could not take another step. I began to wonder if I could even finish 13 miles. Your mind can play so many tricks on you. Our training plan never had us run 13 miles. So as the actual race neared I began to think things like, "What if you lock up again?" and "That would be pretty embarrassing to have to crawl across the finish line" and "Maybe you should just do another race."
Race day arrived and I was amazed at how good I felt. My brother and I decided to stay together which was an encouragement to me. The miles passed and we talked and even laughed at some spots. I know you are thinking, "What could possibly be funny?" All I will say is that at a few of the early mile markers there were folks with cowbells. As the race progressed, we discussed the need for "more cowbell." Hey, when you are running that far it is amazing at what pops in your mind. Don't judge. There were several other funny moments as well. (See the guy standing on his front porch with a pot and a wooden spoon making as much noise as possible) Before we knew it we were in mile 13 and I was amazed. (We were also on a pace that was exceeding what we had hoped for). I couldn't believe how good I felt. We neared the finish and I saw my family and then it began to dawn on me. I wasn't running this thing alone. The encouragement that I had received in the days leading up to and during the race had made all the difference. Every kind word or text or clap all converged on that moment. I felt as if I could keep going after 13.
Encouragement made all the difference. A good friend of mine had sent me Hebrews 12:1 in a text the day before the race. It couldn't have come at a better time. I began to think about the "cloud of witnesses" in my life. Those that had said something kind or offered a prayer. I thought of how my brother and I had encouraged each other during the race. I thought of those who had inspired me with their testimony and life, Charlie Watson and Ron Miller and how they kept going in the "13th mile" of their lives. I realized yet again just how blessed I am. My whole perspective changed as a result of knowing I wasn't in the race alone.
When you think about it, life is the same way. We encounter people every day who are running and many may be to the point they feel like giving up. They are either dreading the next mile or battling the feeling of "I can't do this." Their minds are saying, "just give up now" or "no one cares." Our words can make all the difference. What you say to someone who is struggling can encourage them to keep going when they are struggling the most. As a matter of fact, you may even need to run with them for a while. Scripture tells us to "bear one another's burdens" (Gal. 6:2) and to "encourage each other" (Heb. 3:13). In a world that is filled with so much negativity the church should stand out. Jesus said his followers would be known by their love. Look around you. The runners are everywhere and many of them feel like they are running alone. Remind someone today that you are in the race with them and that no matter what mile it is - they never run alone.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
What I Have Learned From My Kids (so far)
I assure you: Whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.
Mark 10:15
In the last few weeks, God has really been doing some great things in our house. As a parent, I am always trying to point out to my children how God is working in different situations and how He answers our prayers. We have a lot of good conversations about faith and growth and discipleship. However, what I want to share with you is not what I have taught them, but instead what I have been learning from them.
About a month ago we were sitting in church and my daughter was sitting next to me. The service had just started and we were singing and a sweet sound grabbed my attention. She was singing with all she had. She didn't care who was listening or what they might say, she just praised the Lord. I had to fight back tears as I sat there. I don't know that I have ever heard sweeter singing. I thought to myself, how often do we worry about everything sounding "just right?" Or maybe what someone might say? Christ spoke often of the Kingdom of Heaven being made up of those with a child-like faith. I am afraid we forget that.
Another lesson was my daughter doing something for a friend. She knew there was a need and did what she could to meet the need. We pray daily (as a family) to be the hands and feet of Jesus. We hope to instill in our children the need to not only tell the world about Christ, but to show Him as well. It was so refreshing to hear her make plans about how to minister to others. I fear that we often get so busy we miss opportunities every day to show the world Christ. It could be a simple phone call, text message or a visit. Just look and listen. The needs are great.
One final lesson is the salvation of my youngest son. For the last few years we have prayed as a family that He would come to know the Lord. To me, one of the most beautiful parts of this time was hearing my older two children pray for their brother. Every time we prayed as a family they would each pray for him (with him sitting right next to them). I fully expected at some point for him to say, "Hey, I'm sitting right here." Amazingly, he never did. The prayers were offered day in and day out. Those prayers were answered on Easter Sunday. I thought to myself, how often do we pray for short periods of time about things and other people and then give up? Once again we are reminded of a simple, child-like faith. A faith that kept trusting and kept seeking.
God is always at work - teaching us in a wide variety of ways. The question is, are we paying attention?
Mark 10:15
In the last few weeks, God has really been doing some great things in our house. As a parent, I am always trying to point out to my children how God is working in different situations and how He answers our prayers. We have a lot of good conversations about faith and growth and discipleship. However, what I want to share with you is not what I have taught them, but instead what I have been learning from them.
About a month ago we were sitting in church and my daughter was sitting next to me. The service had just started and we were singing and a sweet sound grabbed my attention. She was singing with all she had. She didn't care who was listening or what they might say, she just praised the Lord. I had to fight back tears as I sat there. I don't know that I have ever heard sweeter singing. I thought to myself, how often do we worry about everything sounding "just right?" Or maybe what someone might say? Christ spoke often of the Kingdom of Heaven being made up of those with a child-like faith. I am afraid we forget that.
Another lesson was my daughter doing something for a friend. She knew there was a need and did what she could to meet the need. We pray daily (as a family) to be the hands and feet of Jesus. We hope to instill in our children the need to not only tell the world about Christ, but to show Him as well. It was so refreshing to hear her make plans about how to minister to others. I fear that we often get so busy we miss opportunities every day to show the world Christ. It could be a simple phone call, text message or a visit. Just look and listen. The needs are great.
One final lesson is the salvation of my youngest son. For the last few years we have prayed as a family that He would come to know the Lord. To me, one of the most beautiful parts of this time was hearing my older two children pray for their brother. Every time we prayed as a family they would each pray for him (with him sitting right next to them). I fully expected at some point for him to say, "Hey, I'm sitting right here." Amazingly, he never did. The prayers were offered day in and day out. Those prayers were answered on Easter Sunday. I thought to myself, how often do we pray for short periods of time about things and other people and then give up? Once again we are reminded of a simple, child-like faith. A faith that kept trusting and kept seeking.
God is always at work - teaching us in a wide variety of ways. The question is, are we paying attention?
Thursday, January 17, 2013
A Change in Perspective
"Count it all joy, my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds" James 1:2
He gripped my hand tightly, looked me square in the eye and began to pour his heart out. He was lying there with a new shoulder and a surgically repaired hip. His eyes filled with tears as he shared what God was doing in his heart through the painful experience he was going through. I don't think I will ever forget the conversation or the praise that was on his heart. He had every reason to be upset. Every reason to be mad and complain about the pain and yet he didn't. He simply praised God. His words still echo in my heart, "Thank you God for the love you have shown me through this." Did you catch that? Through this.
The truth is, it is often in the deepest, darkest times of our lives that the love of God is the most real. And sadly, it takes those times to awaken us to the reality of just how much we are loved. Earlier in the conversation my friend had said, "One minute life was normal and the next I was practically an invalid." Our lives can change in a moment. Today you could get a phone call that dramatically alters your life. Happiness could be gone in an instant, but for the believer in Christ - joy can never be taken away.
My friend is a living example of this truth. He has a long journey ahead of him. Weeks of rehab and possible heart surgery await. However, he is joyfully facing the trial and looking in the right direction. He is lifting his eyes up, looking past the current problem and looking to the Father. Perspective changes everything. When we spend our days staring at the problems or situations they get bigger and God gets smaller. But when we are able (in the strength that is given us through Christ) to look up, to see the God that is greater and stronger - we can have joy. We know that no matter what type of day we have had we are loved. As the children's song so loudly proclaims, "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so."
He gripped my hand tightly, looked me square in the eye and began to pour his heart out. He was lying there with a new shoulder and a surgically repaired hip. His eyes filled with tears as he shared what God was doing in his heart through the painful experience he was going through. I don't think I will ever forget the conversation or the praise that was on his heart. He had every reason to be upset. Every reason to be mad and complain about the pain and yet he didn't. He simply praised God. His words still echo in my heart, "Thank you God for the love you have shown me through this." Did you catch that? Through this.
The truth is, it is often in the deepest, darkest times of our lives that the love of God is the most real. And sadly, it takes those times to awaken us to the reality of just how much we are loved. Earlier in the conversation my friend had said, "One minute life was normal and the next I was practically an invalid." Our lives can change in a moment. Today you could get a phone call that dramatically alters your life. Happiness could be gone in an instant, but for the believer in Christ - joy can never be taken away.
My friend is a living example of this truth. He has a long journey ahead of him. Weeks of rehab and possible heart surgery await. However, he is joyfully facing the trial and looking in the right direction. He is lifting his eyes up, looking past the current problem and looking to the Father. Perspective changes everything. When we spend our days staring at the problems or situations they get bigger and God gets smaller. But when we are able (in the strength that is given us through Christ) to look up, to see the God that is greater and stronger - we can have joy. We know that no matter what type of day we have had we are loved. As the children's song so loudly proclaims, "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so."
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