“Therefore, since we
are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything
that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with
perseverance the race marked out
for us.” Hebrews 12:1
It was a
beautiful fall day with autumn leaves gathering in piles of visual pleasure for
those of us who might just shuffle through them kicking up yellows, golds, reds,
oranges and all the shades in between that only God can imagine.
Despite the
obvious distraction of falls finery Kat and I made our way
across the city checking off stops previously agreed upon until we found
ourselves at our ultimate destination, “the car dealership”. Salesmen peered from behind gigantic glass
portals as we drove our ten year old Aztec with 123,000 miles into the midst of
their gorgeous display of executive style sedans and SUVs. Color almost immediately became passé
compared to the beauty we had driven through by the golf course. These expensively reserved automobiles were
black, grey, brown and one stood starkly, nearly white. Each of these massive steel beasts were
effectively conservatively impressive.
We extended and
enjoyed our enthusiastic visit to this array of economic status symbols and trophies,
collecting information on styles, engines, manufactured years and outstanding
condition of used (certified pre-owned) with price tags supporting their
individual prowess and outstanding value.
We shared with the young and increasingly anxious salesperson that we
were considering adding another vehicle to our aging fleet of one but that we
were looking six months to a year down our financial road before acquisition
would become a part of the success of doing business with our new adventure.
Later that
evening, following diner at one of our notoriously inexpensive haunts where we
foraged on a somewhat mediocre prime rib, potato and salad, I was on the way to the parking lot, a group
of unidentified spots, unmarked, under a large oak that shaded the west side of
the rather small and unnoticeable establishment. I couldn’t resist any longer calling my best
friend and fellow business partner to tell him where we had been. “Bet you
can’t guess where we spent the afternoon . . . at the Mercedes Benz dealership!” Pause and dead silence for a moment and then
came the response. “You’re a long way from
that, aren’t you?” I had expected that
and knew it to be the truth however I knew my response, another truth, and
shared it enthusiastically. “Yes, but, I know
where I’m going.”
You know, I
proclaimed that short statement with the same certainty as I would have if
someone had asked me about Heaven. I
know where I am going and I know in whom I
trust: Jesus Christ, our Lord and
Savior, who came down from heaven and his throne at the right hand of our
Father, God All Mighty. He shared his
life and he shed his blood for our redemption and our salvation. Not that His coming was just our ticket to
eternity but with the coming of the Holy Spirit and His ascension back to the
Father, he fired the gun that was the beginning of our race here on earth.
He calls us to be workers in his fields and as such he
promises to reward us for our work as we finish our race. He doesn’t say we have to win the race, only
one could achieve that goal, but because of God’s grace, we can all finish the
race and be recipients of the same reward.
We need only to complete our work here, where our goal should be to help
others see what God has done for us and to help them reach their goals. The steps to success are often simple and the
pathway clearly marked. Ours is simply
to begin, take massive action, follow the plan, and don’t quit...finish the
race; know where you are going.
“I have fought the
good fight, I have finished the race,
I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7
“This service that you
perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also
overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” 2 Co.
9:12
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