The Race

JOYPEACE

========= The men's meeting followed our usual pattern. We discussed things. All things. Things that troubled and confused us. Men, just like women, have issues. Every third Sunday at 7pm, the men of our church meet and discuss our issues. One of the youngest men, Antonio (21), pulled up his pants leg and showed us the ankle weights that he was wearing. Antonio lost a foot race to a much older man at the church, and he was determined not to lose again. Thus, the weights. As each man discussed his personal issues and other men commented on how they had successfully handled the same issues, Antonio kept coming to mind. Not the weights, we all have weight of one kind or another, but the race. I saw the race. All of us are in a race in one form or another. The race is not necessarily against an opponent, but it's often a race with our own destiny. Speed is a factor, we don't have unlimited time. I began to see all of the issues the men discussed in terms of the race. Some issues were obstacles in the path. You couldn't avoid them to get to the finish line. You either must move the obstacle or hurdle the obstacle. There are some things that you MUST deal with and conquer. Other issues were distractions on the sideline. They made a lot of noise. They upset emotions. They had a lot of movement and attracted a lot of attention, but they were really NOT in the way of the man's destiny. They were distractions. Many of the men had stopped the race and stood wrestling on the sidelines with distractions. As I opened the revelation to them, they paused and I could see light bulbs go off above their heads. They could clearly see that many of the things they were wrestling with were not really in the way of their destiny at all. Perhaps with many of you it is the same. You've been stopped on the sidelines by distractions and the things that you are so wrapped up in are not in your way at all. Perhaps it is time to get back in the race. "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." (Heb 12:1 KJV) ~A MountainWings Original~