I had a revelation tonight while talking to a friend so I figured I would jot it down and share it.
Many times when I think about life, it is in the form of a race. “I am running my race and when I cross the finish line, I will be in eternity. I stay in my lane, doing my thing, and eventually I will meet up with people who are running a similar race.” There is some truth in that BUT when I picture the race (I am a visual person) it is on an oval track that never changes.
Revelation is this. . . My journey is like a CROSS COUNTRY race. There are various terrains in a cross-country race. The ground might be nice and smooth in some places while in others it could be rocky and steep. A runner must be sure of his step on all types of terrain. Confident that his next step will be solid and sound. There are also areas in cross-country racing where fans/coaches can cheer for their favorite runner but then there are times when there is no one around to cheer the runner on. The runner has to choose to keep running even when there are no screaming fans. When everything around him is silent.
Another thing that jumped out to me was that when my “race” was on an oval track, I could see the other “runners”. I knew where they were at. On the cross-country course though, there are times when the runner can see the other runners and times when he can’t. Again the runner must choose to continue to run, trusting that he is on the right trail. He must have faith in his training, his coach, and his sense of direction.
As a follower of Christ, my Coach is Jesus. My training comes from time spent with Him and my “sense of direction” is the Holy Spirit. The race that I run is filled with all types of terrain. My confidence is found in the reality of who I am in Him. No matter what type of terrain I am on, my identity as a Daughter of the Most High King remains the same. Therefor, my confidence (step) can remain strong in Him.
As I run my race, there will be times when no one else is around but Jesus is always there. He carries me when I think I have no strength and gently pushes when I doubt myself. When no one else is cheering, Jesus is my cheerleader, encouraging me every step of the way. I CHOOSE TO RUN!
