Hebrews 12:1
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.
Forgive me is this post is a bit scattered that’s just the way it is in my head right now. I want to write something because it is important, extremely important that I capture the essence of this past week. What I have learned and what I’ve experienced.
At Pastor Stew’s funeral it was pointed out that there is a cloud of witnesses observing the lives we live on this earth. It was an interesting thought, one I had not really entertained before. Or perhaps it was simply a thought that didn’t seem to apply to me until now. In the last several years I have attended several funerals but no one has encouraged, taught, challenged or blessed me quite as much as Pastor Stew. His unexpected death shook me and even now it’s hard for me not believe that this is all an elaborate joke. That I’m going to walk into the church and see him standing there. That he’s going to hug me and call me kiddo (he has always been the only one to call me that), then tell me that he’s so glad to see me.
Because for some reason he really did see me. As person after person stood up and shared about what Pastor Stew meant to them it became obvious that he was a man with exceptional vision and he not only seen me but a multitude of others. He loved people. He believed that each person was created by God, loved by God, wanted by God and dreamed about by God. That they were not garbage but a masterpiece created with unique talents and abilities fitted to a purpose that no one but them could fulfill. It was Pastor Stew’s desire to unlock those talents and abilities and release people so that they could fulfill that purpose.
He ran his race with endurance and he finished strong. Now he’s gone and I am left with memories, with notebooks full of sermon notes, an email inbox full of notes of encouragement, and a challenge. Take what he’s given me, the passion for God and God’s people that he’s helped me to kindle, and run with it. Run fast, run strong and take the vision farther than even Pastor Stew dreamed of taking it. I know that’s what he expects and I know that he’s become a member of that great cloud of witnesses. Watching intently to see what happens next and witness the working of God’s glorly within the earth. I think he would be disappointed if we just gave up and stopped running. He wouldn’t want us to drop the baton and stop the race, he would want us to run into new territory chase down new, bigger dreams and trust God for more than we can even imagine at this point in time.
He preached an entire series of sermons about Israelites crossing the flooded Jordan river and he would want us to remember what he preached and follow suit by stepping into the water. By going deeper than we’ve ever gone before, even if it doesn’t look like the waters are going to stop raging. Take the step of faith. Pursue God. Go deeper. Just keep running the race.
I’m really going to miss you. This coming year already feels strange without you, I was looking forward to telling you my stories, to reading your awesome notes of encouragement and most of all I was looking forward to having you pray for me and release me into what God has called me to do. I know that you’ve been doing that every time you prayed for me since I was a little girl but it’s always nice to hear it. I didn’t really get to tell you about training camp and I wanted to… But this is not going to stop me.
I will run. I am running. And I’m going to do my best to see and encourage people the same way you encouraged me. You were right, God loves people and people are worth living for. People don’t care what you know until they know that you care, right? That’s my goal to genuinely love people.
This race is not over, it’s only just begun…
