A thought by Christine Caine from her book, Unstoppable: Running the Race You Were Born To Win (p. 69). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)
Christine says, “The race is on! When you are running with your hand reaching back, palm open, ready and waiting, the baton finds you. God will place it in your open hand. As long as you keep running, God is equipping you to do the work at hand, all the while preparing you in ways you’ve never imagined to do the next work he will call you to do. God is always at work leading you, training you, and shaping your heart and passions.”
She goes on, “But such growth is dependent on never growing stagnant — never standing still in the exchange zone. Just as you cannot steer a ship that isn’t moving, batons cannot pass between those who are not running. We must keep moving!
“Remember the relay in the Olympic races? The starter breaks away from the starting line. Runner number two is in the exchange zone and begins to run, then accelerates, then reaches back and runs flat-out, eyes fixed forward, never back, and keeps running until that baton is slapped into his or her hand. What would happen if the second runner were standing still? This is a race, not a leisurely stroll or a meandering walk. A race. If the person in the exchange zone were standing still, both runners potentially could be knocked over and the race would be lost! There is no way for the team to get that baton across the finish line first unless every runner is already running, arm reaching back and ready.
“How did those runners win their places on the team? By running, running, and running some more. Practice increased their strength and improved their speed. Coaching as they ran honed their skills, enhanced their techniques, and pushed them to excel.”
She then says, “God not only powerfully uses people who are runners — ‘just do something’ kinds of people — he trains them by keeping a steady supply of new batons flowing into their lives and thereby grows their capacity to have an impact on this world. This is what happens when we do God’s work. We develop to the level of where we need to go. As we move and serve and run for God, we… grow in experience, strength, courage, confidence, tenacity, and endurance.”
I am getting up in years, but I am not ready to stop and just relax and watch TV. No, I am up and at it each morning ready to make a difference and to see a difference and to enjoy a difference in each new day. There is so much more to see and to do no matter my age. God has put that desire in me. I am ready and excited about each new day that God has created for me to make a difference for him. Are you?
Yes, yes!
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