The Race

I'm sure many of you have heard The Race used as analogy for life, and I was just thinking about how true that really is today.  Life is a race, a race to the finish, a race marked with trials and tribulations as well as great joys and honors.  This really hit me these past few weeks when one of the greatest men I have ever known beat cancer and won his race of life.  His life is testament to what living the life here on Earth is all about; perseverance, faith, sharing the Good News, and giving all the glory to God.  Cancer has been an obvious hardship in my family with Rollie and both of my grandmas and many families that I know over the past few years, and it sickens me to think about the havoc the devil is causing with it.  Satan has used it to tear people apart, but Rollie let him know that his battle was a win/win situation because whether the cancer were to disappear or take his life, Rollie was ready and knew that God had a plan for his life.  Rollie and all those who have battled or are currently battling cancer are an inspiration that, with God, we can carry on in this race of life whether it be down here or in our Eternal Home.  This leads to the daily verse.

Daily Verse: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and that sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ~ Hebrews 12:1

That being said, I thought I would share a little about what God has done in my life/my race these past 10 months.  I guess you could say He put me back on the track; out on my own I was trying to carve out this janky track when God had this perfectly paved one all set up for me.  He is setting me free from the lies that Satan has been filling me with for years, and freedom through Christ is amazing.  What are these lies you might ask, well let me tell you.  FOOD! For as long as I can remember I have eaten no matter the situation: good moments, bad moments, great news, terrible news, celebrations, parties, meetings, or just being bored.  I thought food was the answer.  I would tell myself that it didn't matter what I looked like as long as I was happy, that I only lived for so long so I might as well enjoy it.  In actuality, I hated how I looked, I hated that I ate too much, I even began to hate me.  But God who is sovereign and just stirred within me a desire to throw those thoughts away and dismiss those sinful thoughts.  Since January 24, 2010 God has been bringing me back on track for my life. He started by giving me a desire for working out and being healthy.  In the daily verse it says to throw off everything that hinders, well by the grace of God I have been able to throw off 102 pounds of weight that has been hindering me for way too long.  From changing me physically, he moved onto my heart and has been working on me spiritually giving me a craving for His word, and a strong desire to know Him more and be free from sins that have entangled me over and over again.  I can say that these changes are truly a miracle and I am so grateful to have a Savior who has redeemed me and made me whole!

Side note: Last night was the CRU outreach called The Maze. It was as thought-provoking as it was inspiring.  I was just informed that 98 people chose to ask and receive Christ into their lives at the Maze as well.  That is amazing!  The Maze is an illusionist that incorporates the gospel into his act and basically explains that sometimes life isn't always what it appears to be on the outside and that only one thing, Jesus, can lead us out of that deceit and into eternal life.  It was an amazing experience!