Published September 20, 2013 by in
September is here, Labor Day has come and gone, First Place and Child Care have all received their new and returning students and they are off and running! There is so much activity centered around the beginning of the school year that many of us may feel as though we have just begun a sprint race to the finish line! Yes, the more relaxed days of summer are coming to an end and the whole world seems to kick into a new gear, not just schools. Churches around this country are also kicking into gear for their fall programming schedule which is usually following the school year calendar as well. It certainly feels like a sprint race around our church as well with the fall plans kicking into gear and the church “breaking in” three new pastors into the established traditions of our annual program of ministry. In the midst of our sprinting forward, I have a simple word of advice…
Life is not really about a sprint race, but I do believe that the analogy of a race can be very helpful in thinking about our lives…but the analogy is much more appropriate and helpful if we picture the race as a marathon instead of a sprint. Yes, it is true that at times we seem to be going as fast as we can, like we are sprinting, but sprints are, by definition, a short race with winners and losers quickly determined. A marathon takes a lot of time and a lot of preparation; those who start quickly are not always the winner; those who appear to be winning for a long time do not always finish victoriously. Life is like an endless marathon, and those who finish the race are always overcome by the sense of accomplishment, of a sense of victory.
May I offer all of us something to think about? Let us run the race with endurance in mind…let us run the race with perseverance as our attitude…let us not grow weary, but let us run as those who are confident that we will be victorious in the end!
I am looking forward to running the race in your company…
Blessings,
Doug