Running the Race

The following is an old  excerpt from my blog that I wanted to share. Hope it encourages you.


Today, I was led to Hebrews 12:1-2 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

I recently finished a marathon with my twin sister,so the above verse hits me in a new and compelling way. You see, I start the race with more comforts than I really need. By mile three, I take off four articles of clothing which are keeping me way too hot and additionally "weighing me down". I wonder, what in my life is keeping me from living the abundant life that God has for me? What sins do I wear so comfortably that I don't realize their weight keeps me from His best..  God's call for my life.

"Running with endurance" also hits home. For one, it hurts sometimes, running. I mean, running with pain... Life with pain...major calf crampage at one point and for a couple miles, I'm doing some kind of a jog-limp, where I  swing my right leg and use my left leg to push off the weight (I'm sure I look ridiculous)and all of this in the pouring rain for 26 miles...seems like forever, until it's over... A picture of running my spiritual race with Christ? You come up with all the metaphors, Father God. This life with Christ is not meant to be a cake walk. As a believer, I am promised tribulations WILL come with my spiritual race on earth, so what will I do when they do? Show me, Lord.  Hopefully, like the marathon, just keep running with endurance toward the prize, Him, relying on Him. My prize and my strength?! It is all you, Lord. You are my prize!! You are my Strength!! What hope! I AM..I AM! Amen!

A race like this teaches me about my need for fellowship. I pray my way through a good bit of the race, but I know I would not have run the entire challenge if my sister-in-Christ, Debbie Richie, and twin sister(also my sister-in-Christ), Shahla, weren't there to encourage me. Shahla and I meet Debbie around mile 15 and she says, "Good job! Keep it up!" We immediately attach our selves to this sister of encouragement all the way to the finish. We find out right away what she is all about. She is a track and cross-country coach. A sister, with experience;she lives for our Lord. She quotes scripture, stops to rub bio-freeze on my calf and just keeps encouraging with motivational stories and words of affirmation. It is Debbie's 33rd marathon, so not surprising that she is prepared with everything imaginable in her fanny pack to help those around her. She later tells us that she considers running these races a part of her ministry of coaching. She does not have to tell us this.You can not imagine how thankful Shahla and I are as we run with her by our side!  Fellowship...oh the power of fellowship and accountability!!! Before Debbie came running next to us, Shahla and I talk to each other wondering if we have to give up our goal of running the entire race and resign to walking, but once we enter the fellowship of Coach Debbie, compromise is not an option. You know people like that in your life? That keep you looking at Him.
 No doubt that's what  fellowship does in my spiritual life. I know that when I am surrounded by those that are living a holy life unto the Lord, sins that seem optional become undesirable in the light of His Best. Thank God for my sisters in Christ!!

Lastly, it's all about looking forward towards Christ. What has lasting value? Living for Him, the prize that is eternal...even more?  There is a joy set before us, which no eye has seen no ear has heard! This is real...I mean I finished a stinkin marathon for a t-shirt and a medal!! How much more willing to be stretched and tested for my Savior? Counted as tried and true...Hopefully, a lot more each day with His strength! Amen!

Like the race, sometimes it is about taking one step at a time. I remember a wise woman once told me to Love your Lord one day at a time in His strength and sometimes one hour at a time...perhaps sometimes it will even take one minute at a time, but always in His strength. One more thing...I felt a need to pray throughout the marathon.
 Perhaps whenever I really set my minds to run THE race Christ has called me to, I am more eager to pray in my need to recieve His strength. Essentially, I'm called to live in and through Him, so if I'm still living in my own strength then maybe there's more in store that I'm missing...maybe certainly.
 
I have been reading a blog called A Holy Experience by Ann Voskamp; It is such a blessing to be in fellowship via her blog. Recently, Ann invited those interested in the ministry of sharing life in Christ through writing to share a post from their personal blog, so that is what I've done. I hope and pray you have been encouraged. I have butterflies in my stomach as I reflect on the "maybe certainly" of which I ended my post. A ministry through writing is something I've always felt strongly about, yet I've always been fearful that I just wasn't good enough
 
...so if I'm still living in my own strength then maybe there's more in store that I'm missing...maybe certainly.
 
If you share the same desire of sharing Christ's handprint on your life through writing, then you should join this opportunity to attend the She Speaks Conference http://shespeaksconference.com/ .  The following link gives you the details to enter your blog entry for a chance to go tuition free. http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/03/how-christians-create-art-she-speaks-scholarship/