STAY IN THE RACE

FINISHING THE RACE

We all have those days, sometimes they run into weeks, even months or longer. You grow weary you question why your doing this or that, you have doubts you have the stamina or will to go on. Eventually for some they catch a second wind, find some more energy, maybe a change of pace but they stay in the race.

I have been in Haiti for 10 years now and over that time have met and had friendships with many missionaries. In that time over 30 of those individuals, some who were married couples, have left and returned home. Some of them probably never actually intended to be there more than several years anyway but others came and started missions or worked with established ones.

You could often tell those who weren't prepared to stick it out but sometimes others who seemed like lifers would leave unexpectedly as well. Yes there would always be some explanation or rumor such as lack of funding, poor training , couldn't adapt to culture, health issues, schooling for kids, love or marriage, disagreements with other missionaries, mission board or nationals and fear .

I still have 3 friends, two of them married, though who have stuck it out through the good times and the bad . They were in Haiti when I arrived and between the three of them have over 90 combined years. Yes over those years they faced many of the same problems of those who only lasted one or two years or those who quit at nine years but they have stayed in the race.

The Apostle Paul talked about this race in 1 Corinthians 9 :24-27. He stressed that the Christian life offers the opportunity for many people to be winners if they train well and discipline themselves. Paul emphasized that the race all Christians need to prepare and run is the calling of God and that they are rewarded for the calling that He gives them. Paul was committed to staying in the race at all costs till the end.

I can't judge nor want too any of those who left and I have often been there and grown very weary myself. I think the thing that has allowed my three friends to stay all these years is the attitude that even though they may have come with dreams they realized it was God who fulfills them. He desires to be our partner, He made us and He gave us a purpose to accomplish if we allow ourselves to be in His will and not our own.

In the ten years I have known my three friends I have never seen them do anything without allowing God to give it life first. They are masters at the marathon adapting their pace to what God is doing. They speed up when they see where God is working and drop back to conserve energy when they can't see Him, they never want to get ahead of God. Every race needs someone to set the pace, in the Christian race, it has to be God.

In God's love, Steve