Tonight I had to pull from an old blog from 2014. It is even truer in 2020! My new position at FIS, mastering Google, helping my two kids at FHS, getting the older two going in their different directions, and maintaining my life has costs me some time with writing.
Mind you - I did sleep late this weekend and took a few naps. I learned that rest is valuable. My husband graciously cooked for us today. We did not ask, but his gifts will bless us this week and fill our lunch kits with good food.
Back to 2014: Last Sun day in church I heard a familiar verse; however, it spoke to me in a new way. I adopted it as my verse for the 2014-2015 school year. It is Hebrews 12:1-2 and says “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.”
I wrote it in my journal and it was like the Lord said this: Run your race, kid. Run it well. Do not quit running when you are tired. Get rid of the sin. It will slow you down. Run your best race, do your best. Put on blinders, the world will try to distract you.
We have come too far, even when you are tired, don’t turn back. Don’t dare look behind, right or left, but look forward at Me. Keep your eyes on Me and run your race, kid.
For those of you who know I am 41 years old. You may think it is funny that I the Lord said to me “Run your race, kid” since 41 is not the age of a kid. Relatively speaking though, I still am a kid in the Kingdom. I invited Jesus into my heart only 11 years ago, so this is still new to me.
Let’s get back to Hebrews 12: 1-2.
I want to share this verse with Moms and Dads who begin the race this week of getting kids up and out on time, helping with homework, and playing taxi driver. Run your race!
I share this with recent graduates from high school who now are running an unfamiliar race at college or in the workforce. Oh, my heart goes out to you and I plead with you to hear this…Jesus says “Run your race and keep your eyes on me.” You may be all grown up and independent, but spend some time with Jesus every day.
I share this verse with the brave men and women who work in the school system. With changes, cuts, and increased pressure from this test and that, Jesus says to you…Run your race and run it with love because there is a whole classroom full of kids who look up to you. Lead them to the content, but love them on the way.
I share this verse with students of any and every age who are tempted to compare themselves to someone else and feel like they just don’t add up…Jesus says run your race. There is an emphasis on your, so run your race and don’t compare.
With the help of Jesus Christ, I am going to try and run my race this year with a smile. We are only given one life, one race here on this earth, so we better run hard, run with purpose, and most of all, run with love.
That last line concluded my post from years ago, but it still resonates with my soul in 2020.
More than ever, we need Jesus and to run our race and run it well!