Triple C News - May 12
Hey, everyone!
Hope you’re having an awesome day!
And what a day this will be!
A day to praise!
A day to sing!
Maybe a day to try something new!
How ‘bout putting in a garden?
Or trying that new recipe?
Or maybe start training for a marathon?
“What?!”
You know…a marathon!
They’re so fun!
Last Friday, Coach Froning asked me to come to early morning FCA at ORHS and talk about Hebrews 12:1 and 2 and “running the race set before us…”
I think it was because I’ve run several of those long ones.
I'm not exactly sure why I love those 26.2 mile races…
Once I did one in Nashville and that “.2” was the longest .2 miles in the world!
Although one thing that really helped those of us stumbling and staggering
toward the finish line was that the curbs on both sides were full of people
yelling for us to make it and keep going!
"You're almost there! Way to go! Just a little more!"
In fact, I told the kids last Friday that one thing I noticed during that particular race was that a lot of runners had a name printed on the front or back of their shirts.
Sometimes it was on the front AND back.
Just a first name…
like "Jill" or "Kate" or "Frank".
"Wonder what that's all about?" I asked myself.
Then I figured it out.
At about the 17th mile, when it had thinned out a little along the road
(at the start, there were 30,000 of us nuts out there!)
people along the route were calling out…
names!
"Go, Jill!...C'mon, Kate!...You can do this, Frank!
Keep going, 1182! You doin' great!"
"1182?? Hey!! That’s my number!” I thought.
Then I got it! The reason people had first names on their shirts was that it was the name of the person inside the shirt!
It was printed on there so people you didn't even know could call it out to encourage you!
To call your name and cheer you on!
To tell you that you matter to them! …
That they wanted to see you, who might be beginning to have a little bit of a struggle, make it to the end!
Along with the marching bands and cheer-leading squads, it was amazing to think that there were people who got up on purpose just to encourage people they didn't even know!
People like Kate, Jill, and 1182!
In the Letter to the Hebrews that was written to people who were following Jesus…
running their race…
AND who were having a tough time by that point…
it says…
”And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of
doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see
the Day approaching…"
Or as a different translation puts it…
”Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out,
not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on,
especially as we see the big Day approaching."
Y'know, that's one thing Sunday’s all about!
It's about getting together…
singing!…
praising!…
telling our God that we looooove Him!!
AND it's about cheering each other on!
It's about getting together and telling each other…
”You can make it! This matters! Keep going!!"
Sometimes, just knowing you're there...
worshiping Jesus with all your heart...
singing to Him...
lifting your heart to Him...
is all the encouragement a struggling runner needs to keep going in his or her
race!
You're there because Jesus died and rose again to have…
our hearts…
our praise…
our worship!
You're there because your heart longs for…
loves to…
and needs to worship and praise Jesus!
AND you're there because there is someone there who is having a tough
race. They need a lot of encouragement to keep going!
Even if you don't know who they are…
even if you don't know their name…
you can count on it!
They're out there!
And you, having a heart to worship…
a heart to praise…
a heart to love God's Word to you…
are saying to them…
”This matters to me!
It’s important!
Don't quit!
I won't!...
Keep going, Frank!...
Keep running, Jill!
And Kate!…
You'll make it, 1182!!”…