Running Our Race

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

From a Journal Entry: In my prayer time, I was thinking about a work situation where it didn’t look like I was going to succeed. As I pondered this with the Lord, i realized what an expectation and need I have for success. And how I usually don’t participate in something if I don’t think I can succeed.

The Lord brought me back to a childhood memory from when I was about 7 or 8. I was in a friend’s yard, and we were racing to see who could reach the big pine tree across the yard first. As she pulled ahead, I stopped running – deciding, without any actual thought, that if I just quit running, then I wouldn’t really lose. I realized this was a reoccurring pattern in my life, where I didn’t want to even start something if the competition was tough.

As I pondered this in prayer, I again found myself in that memory. But this time, I saw that instead of racing to a tree, Jesus was waiting for me at the end. He was dressed in bright, shining white and was kneeling down with his arms outstretched to catch me up when I got there. The other girl ran past me, but I was no longer running to beat her. Instead, I was running towards the arms of Jesus!

Continuing in prayer, a little later I saw the same scene, with Jesus waiting for me at the end. This time, I realized that Jesus was also running beside me, holding my hand each step of the way!

As I savored the joy and peace these images gave me, I saw the same scene once again. Jesus was still waiting for me at the end, and was still running beside me, but this time His shining presence was also inside me, encouraging and strengthening me from within!

I thought “I have just been shown the reality of the trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit!