“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
It is my desire, to be able to proclaim these words, with truth and vigor, when I reach the end of my days.
In 2014, I will, God willing, reach my fifty fourth birthday. An old woman according to the young folks, who in polls proclaimed 54 as the age one becomes an “old person”.
I have been running the Christian race now for 25 years. I have not always ran well, there have been many times when I simply slept by the side of the track, and those awful times when I found a room somewhere and dwelt there awhile, forgetting the race entirely and being caught up in worldly cares.
There have been moments when I ran sure and strong, moments when I stumbled, moments when I crawled, my chest heaving for air, moments when others carried me, moments when I paused to carry others. As I stand here, on the brink of a new year, I realize that I am closer now to the finish line than I am to the start of the race. Examining myself, I can truly say, that this realization brings no fear; in fact it fills my heart with hope and strengthens my soul.
It is my heart’s desire to finish well, to run with grace, to run for Him. I care not what people remember of me when I am gone, other than this one thing; that they would be able with truth to say, “She loved her Lord, and more often than not we could see Him in her”. Not everyone could say that should God take me home today, and sadly there would be some who might say “I did not know she was a Christian”!, oh God forbid I allow such a thing to be!
So I will make no resolutions this year. Instead I will write out the desire of my heart for the year 2014, and I will make it the year of beginnings. I will begin this year to plan my own funeral, with the goal in mind of making certain the life celebrated on that day will bring glory to Him. I will run the race this year with the desire and hope…………..
To make the days count,
To pause for prayer,
To pause for reflection,
To greet each soul as if I may not see them again,
To depart from each soul as if this is the final good bye,
To forgive easy,
To love hard,
To trust in His grace,
To fall on His mercy,
To hold onto hope,
To live eyes wide open,
To embrace it all, even if it hurts,
To speak truth, always in love,
To be a source of comfort,
To be a source of encouragement,
To build and not tear down,
To believe in miracles,
To remember His promises,
To feast on His word,
To prepare always, as best I can for the day that I step into His presence.
Oh Lord, strengthen heart for the race, strengthen lungs, strengthen bones, grant courage, grant peace, grant joy, grant endurance. More of You Lord, less of me, may self die daily in 2014, so that Your light can shine forth from my soul. May each day be lived as if it were the day that would end with me kneeling at Your feet in glory.
Lord come strong in 2014, come strong into our hearts and lives, and come strong into the hearts and lives of the people we love.
