Finishing the Race

I may have mentioned here a time or two (or three or four or more!) that I can be easily overwhelmed with the day to day of life. You know... the school activities, and the work responsibilities, and the meals to cook, and the church activities, and the house to clean, and on and on and on. Find me on a week when it seems every day is packed and even the evenings are full and you'll probably find me trying to calm myself and doing alot of praying. I don't know why, but the "busy" in life is hard for me.

Over the last couple of years God has been showing me how to keep pushing forward during these times.  He has shown me that by simply trusting in Him I will get through it all and that all that "needs" to be done will get done. However, I still have moments when I just want it all to end.

Last week would have been one of those times. "Oh, why can't it be summer yet?" "Why can't school be out so that we can do away with the homework and school related activities for a few months?" (that one is more than a wee bit pathetic, too, since I'm not the one that actually has to DO the homework!) "Why can't we stop it all now?"

Did I mention that I may have been just a wee bit whiny about it? Well, I was... Ahem.

As God often does, He led me to just what I needed and 'Wow!' did it stop me in my tracks. My parents gave me a great little devotional book for Christmas, "A Woman of Faith", and this is what I read one morning last week:

"A well-lived life is like a marathon, not a sprint - it calls for preparation, determination, and lots of perseverance. As an example of perfect perserverance, we Christians need look no further than our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Jesus finished what He began. Despite His suffering, despite the shame of the cross, Jesus was steadfast in His faithfulness to God. We, too must remain faithful, especially during times of hardship. Sometimes, God may answer our prayers with silence, and when He does, we must patiently persevere."

Now that got my attention! Jesus carried out what God asked clear to dying on a cross for my sins, but I'm sitting here grumbling because I don't want to finish many activities because I'm just too busy and I don't have time, and I'm tired???  Kind of puts it all in perspective, doesn't it?

God really spoke to me that day last week. He gave me a message that I won't forget anytime soon.... a reminder that was much needed.

"Therefore since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us." Hebrews 12:1