finish fatigued....

I ran a race a long time ago. 13 years ago to be exact. I was in junior high school and i ran the 200 meter hurdles....i was chosen to run this race, and if running full speed for about 30 seconds, they added 3 ft hurdles scattered around to my journey to the finish....HURDLES! On purpose. There was something in my way on purpose, designed for me to jump over and finish in good standing...i was expected to finish, no matter what was in my way.

Isn't this how life is? An expectation to run this race, with hurdles in front of us..on purpose...intended not for our harm but for the purpose of our destiny?...

The thing is i won a medal for running that race hurdles and all. I didn't complain, i trained. I didn't whine i practiced. I was scared but i ran anyway. I knew that by training i would get better, and if i hit one hurdle with my shin ( i almost cussed because it hurt like a.... j/k) but then i learned that i had to extend my right leg more, or anticipate more in advance my jump...My point is this:

Life, a midst of hurdles in all areas of life require us to do the same. The Message version of 1 Corinthians 9:24 is AMAZING look:

24 You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. 25 All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally. 26 I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! 27 I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.

My favorite part is verse 27, ...I'm not going to be caught napping telling everyone else about it and then missing out myself....! I think this is the truest depiction of how we see our hurdles in life. We see one coming and we stop talk about it, complain about, whine about it, take a nap about it hoping we feel better. The problem is we MISS the entire purpose of that hurdle! Ive done it...but after all that whining, i still have to jump over that hurdle and what I would have learned by sleeping and waiting around I missed, jumped over struggling and then got mad because it hurt so much doing it MY way!

Our training as Christians is what we do in between the hurdles. The anticipation that even after we have gotten over that mistake or tragedy, repented of that sin, or given forgiveness for a wrong...we have to get back up and know that a couple of meters down the race another one is coming, and we have to remain alert in good condition...training hard by staying close to God our coach even IN BETWEEN the hurdle.

When we do stop to rest, make sure we are resting in the arms of our Father not in the arms of our Fatigue.

Man oh man is this a lesson for me. I am tired at the moment and that eagles wings verse is comforting ... But when i look back at the last hurdle i went through, i remember that I learned and i am strong all over again....ahhhh, its gonna be so worth it to receive the prize at the end!