Isaiah 66:1-24
Philippians 3:2-21
Psalm 74:1-23
Proverbs 24:15-16
"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."
Heather who?
Watch the video - you'll know who Heather Dorniden is. In an interview after the race, she was asked why she got up and ran like the wind. She said it was for the team - because she knew the point scores were close for the teams, and if she finished, she could score at least one. She also said she found the strength from the fans and the team that had given its all to that point. So when she fell, she forgot that she had fallen - she forgot what was behind, got up, and pressed on towards the goal. And she won the prize.
We are all like Heather. Some of us find ourselves in very similar situations, situations where we fall, and it hurts so much having given our all to that point we wonder whether it is worth getting back up, we wonder why we should try.
For some, it is dealing with difficult parents. For some others, a terrible boss and a dead end job. Still others, it is a painful marriage, or ungrateful children, or a desperate financial situation. I've recently drawn strength from two people I've come to admire very much - one has been sick since childhood and suffered two major surgery, yet still exudes joy. The other, a parent whose spouse treated them terribly, and Is helping a child going through tremendous difficulty - yet still exudes gratitude.
How do they do it? The same way Heather did, the same way I hope to. Heather kept her eye on the prize - my friends' prize is so much more precious. They hang on because they count the pain they experience as loss for the sake of Christ, not worth the life they look forward to when He calls them home. Their minds are not set on "earthly things".
Father, life gets really difficult sometimes, and when we focus on our problems, we lose hope. Keep our eyes on You, that we might keep pressing forward despite the difficulty, despite the pain and hardship. In Jesus's name.
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