Before sunrise two days after Thanksgiving, I had just come into the warm house after gazing in wonder at the stars twinkling away on the western horizon. Each one was perfectly in place, just as God said they would be when He put them there.
It brought a rush of comfort and peace to start the day. That would have been enough, but when I stepped back inside and warmed up with coffee and words of wisdom from good books and The Book, I jotted down four seemingly random, unconnected themes that, as I pondered them, were not random or unconnected at all.
In fact, they were an eye-opening reminder of what makes for a satisfying life and a fruitful Walk—and a daily mission of things to give, pursue and be:
Giving…not just your resources to those in need, but your gifts, talents, abilities and time.
Persevering…in every aspect of life, refusing to quit or become complacent.
Encouraging…this is huge. The Bible tells me so. What the world needs now.
Seeking…the last thing I read but really the lynch pin of all the rest; to keep seeking first the King and His kingdom, and everything else—giving, persevering, encouraging—will flow out of that. Flow out of me.
As I pondered some more, all the fullness and sluggishness from turkey, stuffing and apple pie from two days earlier seemed to be replaced by something light and energizing. Something so Heaven-sent and yet so practical for carrying God’s light within me to the people and places of every single day…
“Giving is the secret to a healthy life. Not necessarily money, but whatever a person has to give of encouragement, sympathy, and understanding.”
—John D. Rockefeller
And while pondering, I was reminded of the Turkey Trot from Thanksgiving morning, and how I also came away energized and not exhausted and wondered why. Maybe because it was where those four seemingly random themes came together. Which reminded me of a parable for this Journey from a Trot not many years ago...
Every half-mile, they were there. Cheering, shouting, encouraging, applauding.
As if you were the only one running this race. Except there are many, many others.
These teammates of encouragement are not hired hands.
They are all on the same team, and they had run this race already, and they knew its course well.
They knew where the steep hills and unexpected twists and turns were, and cheered louder.
“Great job! You can do this! Wooooooo!”
You hear that, and you notice your pace quicken, energized and less labored than when running alone.
Persevering, one step at a time.
And just when you don’t think you could gulp oxygen fast enough, there they are again:
“You’re doing great! Half-way there!” Low-five hand slaps as you run by.
Then…stretches of middle-of-nowhere... and nothing but the sound of pounding feet and labored breath.
No cloud of witnesses anywhere in sight. There’s only way one to turn: Up.
“O God, help!”
And as you seek, you find that He is still with you, cheering perhaps louder than all the rest.
And you find that it is here when men, women, youth, children, each take on their in-race cheering roles as they run alongside or pass one another. Where have I heard this before?:
"One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty and remarkable acts." (Psalm 145:4)
But not just the older to younger, but younger to older, too.
Hope rises.
And around the bend and into the warm sun, voices of another cheering throng:
“Keep going! One mile to go! Well done!”
The last leg of the journey, on your last legs, your mind screaming “give it up already!”
But perseverance kicks in again with an unexplainable spring in your step as you hear the cheers and feel the warmth running through your veins of running with purpose—even with a whole bunch of strangers, and yet family.
A spring in your step from coming alongside someone more than twice as young but struggling for breath: “C’mon, you and me, we can do this!” (There is no “i” in t-e-a-m.)
Giving…encouragement…hope. And getting it in return.
And then, the finish line in sight, and one more much-needed cheer—this time, an exclamation point from someone older and wiser:
“You’re almost there…now, pick up your pace! Go!”
What words of wisdom!
Then, that glorious line in the road, the stop watch, and the roar of a crowd of people you never met.
...Almost like heaven.
“So encourage each other and give each other strength [build each other up], just as you are doing now.”
—1 Thessalonians 5:11, Expanded
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