...other meditations

finish the race

i am writing this month to tell you about my experience at the pocono raceway. now, you may ask yourself, "what was tamara doing at the pocono raceway?" most people who know me know that i am not "up" on the racing sport, or any sport for that matter. but, i was able to take part in something special that may have shed some new light on racing. this all came about due to volunteering oneWord's services to provide free concerts for the fans in the family rv campground. the ministry that facilitated these events was pennsylvania racing outreach, headed up by mr. will fields. (you can find out more about p.r.o. by visiting our links page and selecting their name.)

continuing with my story, there we were, smack dab in the middle of a mission trip, at a weekend event (i'll admit) i didn't know much about. what was God going to show me? what did He have planned for the listeners? after spending an entire weekend at the pocono raceway, this is what i learned. it is a simple phrase of great importance. finish the race!

hebrews 12:1,2 says: 1therefore, 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. 2let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

after reading that scripture passage, one can't help but absorb the instruction and encouragement it brings. so, why then is it so hard for us to move on or forgive others and ourselves? why do we continue torturing ourselves by living in the past? breaking through those disappointments and failures seem to be an endless task and sometimes we feel left behind on the track of life. we often lose sight and perspective of the living and loving God, our Creator. if we sit idle, we rust. sometimes we can even drift backwards. if we continue looking and living in the past, we doubt God and ourselves.

the word "perseverance" stands out in verse one. the definition of perseverance is to continue without halting. i can only imagine that for a race car driver, perseverance is the basis and foundation of his or her sport. this concept of moving forward, in spite of the difficulties, is something we all need to grasp. in verse two, the key phrase is "let us fix our eyes on Jesus". many drivers presently ride in the "Victory" lane using this strategy. if we kept our eyes on Jesus, wouldn't that make it difficult to look back? every day, we must rise to our own occasions by moving forward without reservation and without dwelling in the past.

therefore, i urge you, brothers and sisters, to keep going! you have a forgiving Father who wants to help you with your race. just ask Him. don't feel you have to cross that finish line taking first place. in fact, all you need is the simple desire to finish…period! it doesn't matter if you win. it doesn't matter what has happened in the past or even if you come in dead last-with car parts trailing behind! always remember that Jesus is your Author and Perfecter. during your brief times in the pits, He'll bang out your dents, piece you back together and give you the fuel to finish the race!

in the Victory lap,

tamara