Stay in the Race #BlogParty2011

from Max Lucado's FACING YOUR GIANTS:


     In 1952, Florence Chadwick attempted to swim the chilly ocean waters between Catalina Island and the California shore. She swam through foggy weather and choppy seas for fifteen hours. Her muscles began to cramp, and her resolve weakened. She begged to be taken out of the water, but her mother, riding in a boat alongside, urged her not to give up. She kept trying but grew exhausted and stopped swimming. Aides lifted her out of the water and into the boat.They paddled a few more minutes, the mist broke, and she discovered that the shore was less than a half mile away. "All I could see was the fog," she explained at a news conference. "I think if I could have seen the shore, I would have made it." 


     Take a long look at the shore that awaits you. Don't be fooled by the fog of the slump. The finish may be only strokes away.


~Max Lucado


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Hope...to me it often appears only as the tiniest fragment of the tiniest sliver of light, barely noticeable in the immense darkness surrounding me. And, like Florence, when my strength is gone because I've lost sight of the shore, I often beg to be brought back into the boat and out of the race. What was once excitement over a dream to pursue becomes depression under the weight of the struggle to reach that shore. 


It's true that other people in my life can either affirm or negate the race I'm running. They can cheer me on or boo me at every turn. Their words, or lack thereof, are indeed very powerful. But ultimately, at the end of the day, it really comes down to this: will I choose to Hang On to Promises Eternal or will I choose to take my eyes off the shore and place them on the fog around me?


This reminds me of a story found in the Gospels:

"... Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. ²³ After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

 ²⁴ Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. ²⁵ About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

 ²⁷ But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

 ²⁸ Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

 ²⁹ “Yes, come,” Jesus said.

   So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

 ³¹ Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

(Matthew 14 NLT)

It all comes down to trust, doesn't it? Peter trusted Jesus enough to get out of the boat--and that's a lot farther than any of the other guys he was with that night! Peter trusted Jesus enough to step out onto the water. Peter's eyes went where our eyes tend to go immediately after we step out in faith: they began to notice the storm, the power of the winds, the reality that apart from Christ he was going under! And, yet, even when Peter took his eyes off of Jesus, Jesus never took His eyes off of him. He didn't scold Peter for his fear, He simply reminded him that faith in Christ is never wasted. When Peter began to sink he cried out for Jesus--not for the other disciples. He knew that there was only one Hope for him--and that was the man standing on the water right in front of him.

We, too, can take courage. He is here. He sees. He cares. He isn't going anywhere! And, when the fog closes in on us and we lose sight of the shore (that just may be closer than it appears), we can trust that it is right where it is supposed to be. Not an inch closer or an inch farther.
"My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name!"