Sunday, March 4, 2018

Endurance and Life

Endurance and Life

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial,
because when he has stood the test,
he will receive the crown of life that God
as promised to those who love him."
(James 1:12 NIV)

                   In our seemingly endless search for tranquility, we always seem to "want what we want, when we want it". Waiting seems like an impossible task. We seem to want our victories to come via the easy route. That is rarely a reality of life. Life is not a sprint; it is an endurance event, a marathon.
           
Many of you know of my amateur career as an endurance athlete, a Triathlete, swim, bike and run. Just to get to the starting line in a race takes hours of practice, mostly alone; sometimes in pain; often in bad weather conditions. However, in most races there are over thousands participants! That's correct, thousands. This is generally true of most endurance events. What for? Why do people do that?
           
 Let me summarize the feelings that occur during a typical Triathlon. There is anticipation and excitement standing on the beach   during the national anthem. There is generally a feeling of spirituality during the blessing. In all my races, there was a period of fear at some time during the swim. Boredom, pain, doubt and an entire array of other feelings occur during the bike ride and run. Then comes good time; the approach to the finish line.

 The finish line of an endurance event generally has a crowd of 10,000 to 50,000 spectators. Enthusiasm and positive energy seem to radiate out of the crowd to be absorbed by the competitors. Most of my fellow racers agree that the feeling of finishing, the pride, and the accomplishment and of course, just being done, is very special. Many of us have never crossed the finish line without tears of joy in our eyes.

 As a grandfather and senior citizen, I can look back over the years and see the parallels between racing and life. Life is full of challenges, fears and excitement. Consider what James said in his twelfth verse:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and
complete, not lacking anything."
(James 1 vs 2)

Let's remember to live our lives as Christians, be patient, meet our challenges and look forward to receiving our "crown of life".

Thought for Today: We are all living through trying times. There is too much to do, too much work, not enough playtimes. However, we have God and through Him we have our Christian friends. This week, let's look toward the future knowing that patience and perserverance will bring us tranquility and happiness.

Prayer for Today: Heavenly father, as Christians we are not perfect. We seem to want immediate gratification throughout our lives. Today we pray for patience to discover your will, the courage to implement it and the knowledge to recognize your presence in our lives.
Amen

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