Captivated by the story of Canadian skater, Joannie Rochette, I find myself imagining the hours and hours of practice that went into last night's stunning performance just 48 hours after her Mother's unexpected death.
Perhaps you know where I'm going with this.
Eugene Peterson's, The Message, puts it like this in I Corinthians 9:25 - 27:
"You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally. I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've got. No sloppy living for me! I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself."
I'm grateful for this annalogy of an athlete in training. Like the Apostle Paul, I'm running hard for the finish line. My hopeful prayer for these forty days that are Lent is that these spiritual practices will help keep me fit and alert - fully prepared for what lies ahead - ready to take the ice, as it were, even in the face of the unexpected.
Appreciative of an athletes example, I got out the snowshoes again today and tromped around in the winter wonderland - my heart swelling with gratitude for joints that moved freely - for the warmth of protective outer wear, crisp, fresh air and the ability to simply breath.
What are you grateful for today as you train and run this race that is life?
I'm grateful that the line between the two is thin space, that kingdom resides in our effort to reach for excellence in the whole of who we are.
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