RUN.

i heard an amazing sermon today. and when i say amazing, i mean the life-changing, tear-jerking, hope-filling kind.

Joe Novenson preached for the Redeemer missions conference, and he set forth for us a brief history of the world, beginning with Adam and ending with us. his illustrations were all powerful and a propos, and he put our place in the world and in the advance of the Kingdom in context beautifully. by the end, we were all on the edge of our seats. the last thing he told us was to picture ourselves in a relay race, and the Word of God is the baton being handed off to us. we have numerous excuses for why we are unworthy or unable to take the hand-off, and what we think is humility is actually UNBELIEF (that opened my eyes). he then told us to look back over the shoulders of the runners, to the people who led us to Christ, to the people who led them, on and on through theologians and prophets and finally...Jesus. and there he is, at beginning of this long line of runners, looking into our very souls, saying, "Run."

i was imagining the entire scenario he put before us and being inspired endlessly...but that one little word - "Run." - broke me. tears sprang to my eyes, and i realized how selfish and utterly sinful it is of me to refuse that blood-stained baton, or stand there with it uncertainly. i don't know what running (for me) will or is supposed to look like...but i do know that i must.

this life IS a race, and what a privilege it is to be a runner.

help me to sprint, Lord.