A wooden sign warming in the afternoon sun of the front display of a quaint novelty shop bore in hand painted lettering the words, “Life is simple it’s just not easy.” I paused for a moment smiling as I pondered the words which resonated brilliantly with my own experience. This encounter occurred a few of years ago, but the image of that sign and its words are still painted in my memory.
I believe that the Christian life is simple. Jesus himself summed up the “to do” list very plainly for us, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and love your neighbor as yourself”. There you go, simple; however, these simple commandments are not easily lived out.
Tonight [August 17th] one of my squamates was checking in on me and I was being pretty short and vague in my responses so she simply asked if I was going to be alright. My reply was, “yes I will get through it, I usually do.” A lot of times when I run into friends I haven’t seen in a while and they ask “how has life been” I often respond with, “It’s been life. It has had it’s good days and bad days” The race is no different. Today was one of those lean more toward the bad days. A couple days ago was one of those good days.
I don’t know where I am going with all of this and I am realizing I am more rambling than coming to a point, but then in a way that is my World Race experience. It is “simple” I show up and do as I am asked, but it is “hard” because I am tired and showing up takes work. In fact showing up takes a lot of work emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. (All the ways in which God asked us to love him). I think this why media and entertainment are so big, because they give us all the excitement of life’s adventure with out the hard work of showing up, of investing in someone else’s life.
The most common advice I am given when I ask advice from previous racers about how to finish the race well is to “keep pressing in”. Again it seems so simple, of course I am going to press in that is what I came here to do, but the day to day can get to you and it becomes hard. In fact when we look at the new testament it is filled with encouragements and exhortations to be steadfast. The author of Hebrews encourages us to run with endurance (Hebrews 12:1).
How do we do this? How do we press through the hard of life? We look to Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). We remember there is hope and we make the simple, yet hard choice and take another step holding His hand all the way.
