The Olympics

I am a big fan of the Olympic Games, especially the Winter Games.  So I have been spending a lot of time this week watching TV and NBC because of the Olympics.  I have even watched some sports that I normally don't watch, like snowboarding.  Without a clue of what they are doing.  I just want to see the Americans win medals!  And I'm so disappointed when they don't.  I was particularly disappointed when Kris Freeman did not place anywhere near the top in the 15 KM cross country skiing race.  I was rooting for him because he is a fellow diabetic and it is extremely difficult for a diabetic to race like this because of the blood sugar problems we have.  On top of this the temperature was 52 degrees.  Way too warm to be doing skiing.  But, regardless of whether the Americans win a medal, I am proud of those who push through and finish the race, whether first or last.  Their overall goal was to make it to the Olympics and to compete and they did just that.
Of course when I think of competing and racing and the Olympics, it does bring a certain scripture to mind.  I am sure all those who are familiar with the Bible are aware of this verse: "Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."--Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)  Every competition in the Olympics has a course marked out for it.  If  one misses a gate or a turn or falls, he or she is either marked down or disqualified from the competition. There are consequences for your actions.  If we follow the rules, we are rewarded, if we do not then we are punished.  God has a course marked out for us in our lives.  Each one of us has different obstacles to overcome.  No one's path is exactly the same as another person's path.  This is where our lives differ from the Olympic Games.  Each course for each sport is exactly the same for each competitor in that race. But in our lives, someone may marry, while his friend may not.  Someone may have 5 children in that marriage, while his next door neighbor may have none. But regardless of whether we have more or less than another person, we each have a race marked out for us.  We must run that race in front of many witnesses (parents, children, spouse, friends, co-workers, etc.)  Doesn't it make sense that while we are running this race we pay attention to the course we are taking and the One who created this course?  Our witnesses are encouraging us to persevere, and we should be encouragers as well.  God encourages us every day whether we are aware of His presence or not.  He is encouraging me at this moment while I write these words because it has been a very long time since I have written anything and I was scared to even start trying to write again.  I don't have a real point to make in this day's blog, I just want to write.  And if it makes sense to some of you and helps you, then I have met a goal, and that was to be an encouragement to others.
I am also reminded of a verse in Philippians 3: 12-14:  "...I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  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." (NIV)  I have made many mistakes in my life.  I have found myself going over and over a lot of them lately, wondering why I did what I did and wishing I could go back and retrieve that embarrassment and bury it in the sand of time or take those words back.  But I can't.  The past is past, and today is today, while the future is tomorrow. And we all look forward to tomorrow, especially if we are bored with today.  So we each have a goal to live another day, to see another sunrise and sunset.  God wants us in Heaven with Him and that is my goal.  I'm a Christian, but I'm still afraid I'm not gonna make it, that even though my sins are forgiven and taken by Jesus on the Cross, that won't be good enough for the God who can't stand sin.  God is merciful and just. I need to be merciful and just toward myself and others.  The prize is eternal life in heaven.  It's the Gold Medal of all gold medals.  The funny thing is that it's not just for one person to win, it's for EVERYBODY!  We all win!  Isn't that an awesome thought?  We all have a different course in our lives to take, yet we all should be striving for that same goal of Heaven where we are all winners.  I'm still gonna watch the Olympics and root for the Americans to win a medal, but I'm also gonna be proud of those who just compete and finish the race.