Running the race.......................

One of the things I really enjoy about being on holiday is staying up late to watch movies and every now and again I watch something other than 'Bond.'  Tonight I watched one that really moved me to tears, 'The Secret Life of Bees,' a heartwarming story about family and the power of love.  I recommend it highly.

Sometimes things don't always pan out the way you wanted / thought / envisaged and very soon doubt sets in.  You have to hold on to the knowledge that your life is in His hands and that he has a plan for us that often is not our plan.  What we need to do, though is to keep running the race and let Him do the rest............

To Win in Life

'Run in such a way as to get the prize.' 1 Corinthians 9:24

William Arthur Ward wrote: 'Believe while others are doubting. Plan while others are playing. Decide while others are delaying. Prepare while others are daydreaming. Begin while others are procrastinating. Work while others are wishing. Save while others are wasting. Listen while others are talking. Smile while others are frowning. Persist while others are quitting.' To win in life requires three things: 1) You must start. That may seem obvious, but many of us are stuck in the starting blocks waiting for something to get us going. What has God called and equipped you to do? Step out and do it, and He will empower you! 2) You must give it your all. Divers in the Olympics don't save all their effort for their final dive. They concentrate on nailing every single one, increasing their chances for a gold medal. Don't settle for mediocrity at any stage of life (Philippians 3:14). 3) You must never quit. In the 1992 Olympics, Derek Redmond of Britain was competing in the 400 metre race when he suffered a torn hamstring and fell. As the other runners breezed past him, he began to struggle to his feet. His father, whose face was covered with tears, suddenly ran down from the stands to help him up. Slowly, agonisingly, they made their way around the rest of the track and crossed the finish line as the stadium in Seoul burst into thunderous applause. Redmond didn't win a medal, but he won something more important-the respect of the world. The Bible says, 'Run in such a way as to get the prize.' Be encouraged today (day 238) and thankful for such a reminder.