run
Jul 28
“…Let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us…”
(Heb 12:1 AMP)
I’ve never actually run in a race. Well, in Jr high I was on the track team and I suppose I ran in races. I don’t really remember any meaningful learning experiences from those races though. (Maybe I have blocked it out…). I wish I could use a great example of when I ran a marathon, or how I triumphantly crossed a finish line against all odds. The best I can do, is to tell you I finished the season with the team even though I didn’t win any races and was pretty miserable most of the time. That should count for something…
A friend reminded me yesterday that we ARE in a race, and sometimes all we can do is keep running.
We may feel we aren’t making ANY progress, or the course is TOO hard, or we are just too worn out to keep going. We may want to quit the race all together and do something else with our time. BUT what if, this is just a leg in the race—a bumpy, frustrating, uncomfortable, uphill leg of the race—and very soon around a bend in the course, you hit the next leg? That would be different wouldn’t it? Now, you have a reason to run to get to what’s ahead. There is a purpose in every step…you might even find fresh passion and determination to push through this JUST to get to what lies ahead.
Now, I KNOW we are supposed to be content and joyful in ALL circumstances. But let’s be real for a minute. I may be content to know God is working in my life, but I don’t have to like all the circumstances or feelings I deal with, do I? Maybe like me, you’ve been running with your head down for so long, you forgot that there is more up ahead…there is something different…and better. My encouragement is, all we really have to do is keep running. Pretty soon each of us will look back (way, way back) on this leg of the race and understand it’s purpose. I may even appreciate how it made me stronger. But for now, it’s enough to know there is something up ahead worth running towards.
After spending 9 years with a non-profit in the Denver area, I joined the Group Publishing team in 2010. I have the awesome privilege of working with ministry leaders and offering support and encouragement with those who work with church volunteers.
When I am not at Group, I am meeting with writers across the country encouraging them to pursue their dreams! I hope that my story and experiences will encourage you, too.