The Human Faith Race

I'm not a runner. Those of you who know me, know that I have never run a race in my life. I can hardly stand to exercise let alone get up the gumption to run when no one is chasing me. I did however, enter a half marathon almost 10 years ago now and I walked/jogged the whole thing with my 10 year old daughter, whom I might add, it was her bright idea to enter this marathon.
We were the last to arrive at the finish sign that had almost come down by then. I lost a toenail. But we finished the race. I'm not a runner, but I have realized now more than ever before in my life that I am indeed in a race. Some would venture to say we are all in a race, the Human Race, but that isn't the the only race I'm talking about. I'm also talking about my faith race. My very human, full of faith race. It's a different kind of race because I'm not competing against anyone. I'm not trying to look better than my neighbor and have more faith based "Good Works" that people can take note of. I'm not trying to earn titles and have certificates that say I have more faith than you because I took this class, or I attend church several times a week. Seriously, I could give a shit about that!! I'm just trying to live in such a way that is worthy of my calling, and the best way I know how to do that is to simply, truly, authentically; Love God and Love People It's sounds so simple. It sounds so easy. But this human faith race is NOT easy my friends.  There are times when I hang my head in sorrow because I don't understand why with our free will we choose to hurt one another instead of realizing we are on the same team. We get caught up in silly things that at the end of this race won't even be on our radar let alone something we are still talking about. These are the times when I want to stop running, not the faith part of the race because for me loyalty to Jesus the Lover of My Soul is easy. He makes this race easy. He even says; "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" and   "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest"
No it's not that part of the race I want to sit down on, it's the human part.  The love people part. Loving people is hard. Now dont' get me wrong I am a people lovin person through and through, or is it thru? But We are a broken concept if you will. We were never supposed to function outside of being in relationship with our Creator, and so being broken we go around breaking more things. It's messed up what we do to each other and ourselves sometimes. And that's just the part of loving people that we can control. Then there's the part that we can't control, like when tragedy happens and our reactions aren't always  what they should be.   "Life does not have to be full of ease to reflect beauty.  Some of the most beautiful faces in history have not had eyes to see, nor voices to move their lips,  but have possessed peace and serenity that only faith could render." But much like the quote says above some of the most amazing runners in this human faith race are those who have endured true hardships;  cancer, divorce, loss of a child, homes being burnt in a fire, children with disabilities, and so many more seemingly devastating things. YET... they are still running this race. You can see it on the faces of those who have gone before you in these dark areas of life. They are weathered in worn because they have been running for so very long, in the heat of the day, and  YET... they still shine. There are so many who have gone before me in this race like it talks about in the book of Hebrews chapter 12. "Therefore then... since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses" My great grandparents, ran this human faith race. My grandparents both ran this human faith race. My parents are still running this human faith race. And so for me it's a legacy of faith. But for some you don't have that kind of lineage and to you I would say  read Hebrews chapter 11 to find out what kind of human faith race you do have. It gives me great courage and focus to realize that there are those going before me leading the way,  and honestly it makes me want to stay in the race for the generations I will leave behind someday.   I'm not a runner ....   But I want to be a runner who finishes this human faith race.