running | The Wildberry Patch

When traveling anywhere, my husband Jim tries to have as little baggage to carry as possible. In fact, if he can take a computer bag, with a change of underwear and socks, he will do so.
When I flew to and from Germany, I had no choice but to take two pieces of luggage. Two VERY HEAVY pieces of luggage! But for my carry-on…I only wanted to deal with ONE if I could manage. I had a service dog to handle with my left hand. So if my right shoulder could bear the weight of everything else so that my right hand was free…that would be the perfect situation!
On the other hand, when we go to a hotel, I would rather have everything in as little amount as possible, though we STILL seem to fill up those luggage dollys in the lobby.

Marathon runners run LIGHT

People that walk to walk, or run to run, try to eliminate weight in every way possible. The shoe and athletic industry have created many many ways for runners to run without carrying anything. Shoes are lighter, the racing clothes are lighter, and there are belts that one can wear to carry drinks for the run. There are carrying cases for your mp3 player, keys, and some cash so that your hands are free. Race Organizations prepare watering spots, refueling spots…of course, bathroom stops all along the path of a race course. The point is to help the runners finish the race, as quickly as possible, and as unencumbered as possible in the process.

Between our start and finish points, we are in a race.

1 Cor 9:24KJV Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

New International Version (©1984)
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

It is assumed that we KNOW we are in a race…and therefore Paul is telling us to RUN in order to obtain the prize!

The Author of Hebrews says it this way in Heb 12:1:

New International Version (©1984)
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.

First, we have to commit to RUN THE RACE.

Gal 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

What IS the RACE? Obviously, it’s our lives, between birth and meeting Jesus. It is also WHAT we do WITH our lives in that in-between times. Linda Ellis wrote a poem, entitled, The Dash.

It’s appropriate, because, well – we DASH to the finish line!

To enter the race, to have a hope of enduring the race, we need to PUT OFF…Throw off….everything that hinders us…..

Heb 12:1 New Living Translation (©2007)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

BECAUSE we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses….of course those in Heb 11 – but what about Eric Liddell?
His stand of faith was the topic of the movie Chariots of Fire.
Eric refused to run on Sunday, risking his chance for a medal in the 1924 Paris Olympics.
In his case, NOT running the race wass running THE race. Eric Liddell is one of our current heroes of faith – and I believe he is one of the ones in the cloud of witnesses.

Eph 4:22 New Living Translation (©2007)
throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.

The Bible even mentions some things to be thrown off…
Col 3:8 New International Version (©1984)
But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

Brother Eric did so by putting aside the pride and arrogance of a gold medal. Noah put it aside by being willing to be made fun of as he built a ship to protect him from something no one, not even he, had ever seen. Moses put aside being the son of Pharoah to be the mouthpiece of God. Paul(also not in Heb 11) put aside his cushy prominent Pharisee position to be a preacher for outcasts.
We cannot race with baggage. And God has provided the way for us to release this baggage to Him, through repentance, confession, forgiveness, letting go and releasing things to Him. But it is a fight…Paul told us so….in 2 Tim 4:7 :

New International Version (©1984)
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

The race is a FIGHT.

The race is to the FINISH.

The race is a race of FAITH.

Eric Lidell fought and finished as Paul described.
His life continued to be a race for God’s Kingdom, as he ministered in China. It is said “The entire camp, especially its youth, was stunned for days, so great was the vacuum that Eric’s death had left.”

I pray that when my life is over, I will have touched so many lives by God’s light and grace, that somewhere, someone will notice a vacuum. I pray that my DASH affects others to the glory of God. May my light shine brighter and brighter as I learn to run my race, fight my fights and keep the faith…in Jesus’ name.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.