Sitting with the Lord and meditating on something my sister said to me the other day when we were talking goals and outcomes  regarding our Unpacking Grief mission. I was talking to her about progress and she said to me, “it’s a marathon.” And that phrase has stuck with me for a couple of days now which is why I’m putting it before the Lord. Must be a message for me in there somewhere. 

So I’m not a runner.  However, I did run the 220 dash and 880 relay in freshman year of high school and also loved jumping the hurdles and high jump.  The longest race I attempted was the 440 which was one lap around. I never cared for the longer runs but always admired the mile runners and the longer races. I admired their capacity to hang in there when the end of the race seemed so far away.  I have never cared for the long runs to be honest. I like immediate results. I want to know that my efforts are worth it like right away which is why I was a sprinter I guess. Therefore, when my sister said “it’s a marathon,” it gave me pause. I felt the Holy Spirit was basically saying to me, “slow your roll.” So as I sit with the Lord and feeling like I have to explain that I’m older now and likely have more years behind than ahead. (Like He doesn’t know the number of my days.) I received the following correction from the Holy Spirit as I listened. “I don’t need you to rush the work or complete it. I just need you to run this part of the marathon as I direct you and to the best of your ability. Walk through the doors that  I open. Connect with the people that welcome the mission. Do not become distracted by your own agenda.  It is bigger than you. When your time is complete with the mission, you only need to pass the baton.” Whew! 

What’s so awesome is that as I sit with the Lord and He corrects me, I don’t feel upset or offended. All I feel is loved. I feel the Holy Spirit safely guiding my path and keeping me under His care. When we walk with Him, even when we’re tempted to make it about us, He gently redirects us so that we remain under His watch where pride, ego and selfishness have no place. He knows the road those vices will take us down. Therefore, He is keen to watch out for our souls less we stray. It can happen to any of us. I’m reminded of what Jesus said to the disciples when He sent them out, ”Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” And so today for me and perhaps for you. It’s not about running the shortest race or reaching some goal we have in mind as soon as we can. Or even finishing the race. It’s a marathon, run with patience, run with selflessness and when it’s time…pass the baton.

Just sharing my evening musing since I haven’t shared a musing in a while. In hopes that we’ll keep going even when the end is not in sight, that’s it’s a marathon, slow our roll, give it our best effort and then when its time, pass the baton.