When I hear the word race, I don't think about running a half marathon or anything like that. I did that, and I wasn't racing anyone-just trying to get to the finish line. The goal was just to finish. I did not enjoy the training-the day anything. I also promised myself I would never do it again. As of this writing, I have kept this promise.
Then there's the race in life. You get this right-the constant stress of another day flown by, and what have I accomplished doing or not doing. This measuring stick I hold up every day for my accomplishments or lack of is that how God wants me to run? I doubt it, but the ever-increasing challenges of our lives make it seem like a race against humanity and technology every day.
I'm doing my best, and in no way do I want to go back to the Little House on the Prairie Days; I do not doubt that I would be a terrible Caroline Ingalls. There are many things in this life I appreciate that technology has brought us! I look at this picture and immediately wonder where she keeps her phone.
No way.
I believe that we get off course when we take our eyes off the prize.
Every morning I am fed the nourishment I need to run the daily race. I am empowered and on fire for the day until something goes wrong. I shared with my Joyful Surrender group this past week that to make the simple graphic for the theme and verse this week did me in.
I do this almost every week. It should be an easy task, and then it went all wrong. I was frustrated and calling my computer names that my mother would wash out my mouth with soap had she heard them.
It's only 7 am.
I needed to get back on track quickly-open my notes from my morning devotions and refocus- call my husband and tell him I m sorry that he went to work without a head-cuz I bit it off when he came in my office to pray with me before he left. Whoops, how about that prayer? I was like a mean girl holding his hand, resentful of the time it took (God probably didn't appreciate that). So now an apology to God and a do-over, and now it's 7:15 am. Is this how my whole day is going to go?
That's where the training comes in. To do a day well is having the ability to call on my training and recall what I know to be true.
These three things are essential to me to do life better, slower, and with patience. I start my day with them and need to rely on them to sustain me all day. That is the only way to reach the finish line at the end of the day.
The goal is Jesus Christ waiting at the finish line.
Shed anything and everything that limits your progress and run to HIM.
If it is not serving you well, get rid of it. I posted on social media earlier this week some of the things I am reflecting on improving. Birthdays will do that to you. I am reminded of my life when drinking slowed me down and detrimentally hindered my life. To say it was not serving me well would be an understatement. Learning from that is critical when I examine other things that are not serving me well.
I also thought about the "great cloud of witnesses" this verse speaks of. The more people I tell about my training plan, the more accountable I am.
I also can watch others in the "cloud" and learn from them.
Life is a race; it has a finish line where the time you took to run it is flashing as you cross it with arms raised in victory. We need to focus on winning with our best time ever. I can't do this if I am hindered by drinking well; there was that one bike ride... but you know what is weighing you down.
Drop it and feel how much lighter your stride is now.
Does the time it takes matter? I would assume so because we don't know how much time we are given to run this life race.
Peace on your Weekend,
Sherry
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