I am so close to being done with the race. We are on month 10 after all. MONTH 10. How did that happen?
I've realized this month that I unconsciously wanted to slide into home base. 2 more months? Oh, I've got it. I've finished 9 months, after all.
I didn't mean to, but I think I tricked myself into thinking it was going to be easy.
It hasn't been easy.
And you know what? That's been the greatest blessing of all.
It's a month where the comforts, have again, been stripped from me. It's very cold at night. I sleep in my tent with an extremely light sleeping bag. We hand wash everything. Food is cooked over a fire and we've even killed our own chickens for dinner!
More than that, Swaziland is just plain ol' uncomfortable. Witchcraft plagues the nation making my spirit feeling deeply oppressed. Spiritual warfare is happening up the wazoo. My neighbor is dying and another man we met got stabbed this past weekend.
Jesus, still, wants me to fight.
Just when He knew I wanted to coast into the finish line, He has given me a month that I cannot get through unless I rely on His strength.
And that's how life is, too. I am to fight with the Father's Spirit inside of me. I am to still bear His name, no matter how tired I am. I am to love others even when I do not feel like it because the Spirit inside of me gives me strength to do so.
And, at this point it is only the Spirit inside of me that can do this. It's not on my own strength that I can do anything.
This is the Kingdom of God we are talking about. It's His Kingdom that He has entrusted us to bring to the world. I am to trust that He gives the power I need. That I would continually speak of His testimony and not my own.
I believe that Jesus is alive and active. I believe that I am His daughter and that is what gets me out of bed every morning.
He is faithful to see me through. In The World Race and in my life.
To Him be the glory.
Amen.
At church! (We even had to cover our hair!)
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Hebrews 12:1-3
