I’ve got to be terribly honest: finishing has never really
been my strong suit. I’m not sure why,
but it’s been like this for as long as I can remember.
been my strong suit. I’m not sure why,
but it’s been like this for as long as I can remember.
I can talk about this in any number of contexts: school,
fitness, relationships, plans for my life… I’ve been an all or nothing type of
person, extremist, prone to passionate excitement in the beginning of a
project, but undisciplined at the end. I
go through phases, I attach myself to giant visions that I cannot complete, I
need to work on setting more realistic goals, etc., etc., etc., ad
nauseam.
fitness, relationships, plans for my life… I’ve been an all or nothing type of
person, extremist, prone to passionate excitement in the beginning of a
project, but undisciplined at the end. I
go through phases, I attach myself to giant visions that I cannot complete, I
need to work on setting more realistic goals, etc., etc., etc., ad
nauseam.
Now, I love that I am a person of big vision. I love that my friends describe me as a
dreamer — I take that as one of the deepest compliments in the world. I love that I am passionate and easily
excitable and that I go from 0-60 with friends and ideas and plans… sure, I
look like an idiot sometimes and I run the risk of turning into the girl who
cried wolf, but overall, I like this about myself.
dreamer — I take that as one of the deepest compliments in the world. I love that I am passionate and easily
excitable and that I go from 0-60 with friends and ideas and plans… sure, I
look like an idiot sometimes and I run the risk of turning into the girl who
cried wolf, but overall, I like this about myself.
But when I approached the World Race, it made the poor-finisher
within cringe. Eleven months… there was
no way I could shirk out at the end. An
early flight home would be pretty conspicuous to everyone and I refused to be
labeled as a quitter; that is not something I’m willing to carry around for my
life. I didn’t know how He planned to do
it, but I knew that Jesus would have to pull some mighty tough strings in order
to get me through the last quarter of the Race.
within cringe. Eleven months… there was
no way I could shirk out at the end. An
early flight home would be pretty conspicuous to everyone and I refused to be
labeled as a quitter; that is not something I’m willing to carry around for my
life. I didn’t know how He planned to do
it, but I knew that Jesus would have to pull some mighty tough strings in order
to get me through the last quarter of the Race.
Good news: He did. Something
amazing has happened, and I have a drive and a desire to finish this Race
better than I have ever finished anything before. The other day my team and I were talking
about what we wanted out of the last two months abroad and I heard myself say
that I just really wanted God to deepen and solidify what He has done in my heart
and my identity thus far, so that I would be really firm in who I am when I go
home.
amazing has happened, and I have a drive and a desire to finish this Race
better than I have ever finished anything before. The other day my team and I were talking
about what we wanted out of the last two months abroad and I heard myself say
that I just really wanted God to deepen and solidify what He has done in my heart
and my identity thus far, so that I would be really firm in who I am when I go
home.
That’s when it hit me: What
a lame prayer. What a near-sighted,
faithless thing to want. That
thought-process opened my eyes to yet another example of me settling for good
enough when God wants to give me the best.
It’s me saying, “I’ve come this far and now I coast to the end,� when
that is not what God intended at all.
a lame prayer. What a near-sighted,
faithless thing to want. That
thought-process opened my eyes to yet another example of me settling for good
enough when God wants to give me the best.
It’s me saying, “I’ve come this far and now I coast to the end,� when
that is not what God intended at all.
You see, God called me out here for eleven months, not nine months with a bonus two-month review tacked
onto the end. That means that God has
just as much goodness, growth, struggle, and blessing for me throughout June
and July as He did in September and October.
And what if these last two months are meant to be the most pivotal,
life-giving, influential two months of the entire Race? What if these last two months are the key to
fully unlock God’s plans for me out here and for when I get home? And what if I missed that, because I was too
busy looking at my pretty collection of souvenirs from where God has brought me
thus far? If I stop engaging now, if I
stop hoping and believing that God is still a God of more, a God of bigger things than I can understand, a God who is
able to do exceedingly more than I could ask or imagine, then why did I come out
here?
onto the end. That means that God has
just as much goodness, growth, struggle, and blessing for me throughout June
and July as He did in September and October.
And what if these last two months are meant to be the most pivotal,
life-giving, influential two months of the entire Race? What if these last two months are the key to
fully unlock God’s plans for me out here and for when I get home? And what if I missed that, because I was too
busy looking at my pretty collection of souvenirs from where God has brought me
thus far? If I stop engaging now, if I
stop hoping and believing that God is still a God of more, a God of bigger things than I can understand, a God who is
able to do exceedingly more than I could ask or imagine, then why did I come out
here?
This stirred something in my heart, something that makes me
so excited I can hardly sit still. I’m
nine months into this honeymoon with Jesus and He can still make my heart skip
a beat. He has plans for me out here — big, beautiful, incredible things. And His Spirit within me is not tired yet,
because He knows what is coming just a tiny bit further down the road and He is
thrilled.
so excited I can hardly sit still. I’m
nine months into this honeymoon with Jesus and He can still make my heart skip
a beat. He has plans for me out here — big, beautiful, incredible things. And His Spirit within me is not tired yet,
because He knows what is coming just a tiny bit further down the road and He is
thrilled.
In some ways, I feel like I have more energy and joy than I
have yet on this whole adventure. On the
other hand, though, Jesus wasn’t kidding when He said, “The Spirit is willing,
but the flesh is weak.� Oh, I’m going to
finish this thing. I’m going to press on
in faith and joy and complete confidence, knowing that He who called me to this
is more than able to meet all of my needs according to His glorious inheritance
in Christ Jesus.
have yet on this whole adventure. On the
other hand, though, Jesus wasn’t kidding when He said, “The Spirit is willing,
but the flesh is weak.� Oh, I’m going to
finish this thing. I’m going to press on
in faith and joy and complete confidence, knowing that He who called me to this
is more than able to meet all of my needs according to His glorious inheritance
in Christ Jesus.
But I cannot disregard the fact that I’m tired, that my
immune system is no longer in top shape, that I’m so easily fatigued. I feel like Rocky stuck in Mickey’s frail,
old body. I’m ready to go — I want to
sprint ahead across the finish line and do a victory lap, but my legs just
can’t go that fast right now. I know
that it’s getting tiresome for everybody involved; I miss my family and my
family misses me, but how many times can you say that and have it mean
something? And who wants to read yet
another blog or write another email? Not
me… writing blogs suddenly feels a lot like writing papers did during my last
semester of college. I can do it easily
enough, but the act of actually sitting down to put all the words down sounds
like torture.
immune system is no longer in top shape, that I’m so easily fatigued. I feel like Rocky stuck in Mickey’s frail,
old body. I’m ready to go — I want to
sprint ahead across the finish line and do a victory lap, but my legs just
can’t go that fast right now. I know
that it’s getting tiresome for everybody involved; I miss my family and my
family misses me, but how many times can you say that and have it mean
something? And who wants to read yet
another blog or write another email? Not
me… writing blogs suddenly feels a lot like writing papers did during my last
semester of college. I can do it easily
enough, but the act of actually sitting down to put all the words down sounds
like torture.
It makes me think of when my mom ran a half-marathon a
couple of years ago. I watched her train
for months and months and there was no doubt in anybody’s mind that she would
finish the race. One the day of the
race, we all gathered around her at certain points in the course to cheer her
on and give her water and that was good enough for a while. But towards the end, she was struggling; she
was exhausted, in pain, out of breath… so that’s when Taylor, my little
brother, jumped in. He ran beside her
for the last couple of miles and they crossed that finish line together.
couple of years ago. I watched her train
for months and months and there was no doubt in anybody’s mind that she would
finish the race. One the day of the
race, we all gathered around her at certain points in the course to cheer her
on and give her water and that was good enough for a while. But towards the end, she was struggling; she
was exhausted, in pain, out of breath… so that’s when Taylor, my little
brother, jumped in. He ran beside her
for the last couple of miles and they crossed that finish line together.
That’s what I need right now. I need people to jump in and run these last
few laps with me. I have been so blessed
and encouraged by the love and support I have experienced this year — the way
that you all have come behind me and rallied all year is unbelievable. So I want to encourage you while I encourage
myself — finish strong. For better or for worse, we’ve been in
the trenches together this year and the end is in sight — it’s so close. We’re so close. I’m
claiming these last two months of the Race as the best two months of the entire
year. Good enough no longer cuts it for you and for me: we will settle
for nothing short of God’s absolute best.
few laps with me. I have been so blessed
and encouraged by the love and support I have experienced this year — the way
that you all have come behind me and rallied all year is unbelievable. So I want to encourage you while I encourage
myself — finish strong. For better or for worse, we’ve been in
the trenches together this year and the end is in sight — it’s so close. We’re so close. I’m
claiming these last two months of the Race as the best two months of the entire
year. Good enough no longer cuts it for you and for me: we will settle
for nothing short of God’s absolute best.
I’m ready to crush these last two months, to wring every
drop of life and love out of them, but I can’t run it by myself. So what do you say, A-Squad? What do you say, family and friends back
home?
drop of life and love out of them, but I can’t run it by myself. So what do you say, A-Squad? What do you say, family and friends back
home?
Want to go for a jog and see what happens?
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already
been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus
took hold of me. Brothers, I do not
consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what
is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called
me heavenward in Christ Jesus.�
Philippians 3:12-14
been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus
took hold of me. Brothers, I do not
consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what
is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called
me heavenward in Christ Jesus.�
Philippians 3:12-14
