Dumb Dumb 5K What Was I Thinking?

First, I want to say this is risky to write for anyone other than myself. Because sometime in the future I may not be able to move beyond where I am. Some could then try to use it to tarnish my witness, but I can’t let that stop me. This is the risk I’m choosing to take.

Today I heard something that made me think, it was about dumb, dumb moments. The times when you make an unwise choice that you have to admit that you made a dumb choice. As I listened to the text be read like I had before even reading it myself countless time before. This time it struck a chord and God made me pull over and park on the scripture so He could braid my life, His grace and Peter’s story all together.

I have heard people say that God gives them “words” for people. Honestly I am sometimes skeptical about that, but I do know when God gives a “word” to me for me, I better listen. Today that “word” is RUN. He actually gave it to me yesterday but I didn’t hear Him. Honestly I wasn’t looking for it or listening for him to give me a “word” I was just not in step with Him all the way. So because I was not paying attention yesterday He tried again. God has a way of not giving up easily on us.

Like I said it started yesterday. I decided to run my first 5K in over 25 years. I started training a little over a month ago when Chrissy (my awesome wife) decided to join this thing that I didn’t have any interest in called “Run for God” I wanted to encourage her in this and so I thought that it may be a great way to spend time together and we could do this together. I just wasn’t going to do the classes, I would read and all but I was in this to encourage her. In high school I ran on the cross-country team and I was one of the slowest but I never quit. As I read and started to run on the running days I got this spark of competiveness and birthed a dumb idea of running a 5K in 5 weeks it was a great cause I knew the promoters and had been on missions with them WCN. So I made a pact with myself to run this 5K then some one let the secret out. Big mouth me. So yesterday was the 5K.

I was nervous and worried why? I don’t know I just was. I wasn’t racing anyone but me. Now that’s some stiff competition actually I was racing against someone or something my past high school self. I did have my best buddy Scott who is fast on a slow day. I figured once he passed me on his way by lapping me he would be able to pick me up off the ground and get me going again.

Well the race started and we were off! I looked for Scott and as I though he was gone. It was just me and Toby Mac blaring from my headphones. Then every so often I would get updates on my pace and mileage. There was twist turns up hill down hill kids passing me. That felt great. I but I was determined and I pressed on. Walking hard to start then to a jog then (look mom) I’m running. (Short lived) about the 1 mile or so. I was feeling okay on pace and making headway. Soon I hit the half-way point and I had to walk but that’s when it happened someone stole my running shoes and put swim flipper on my feet and I didn’t even know it. Talk about alien abduction. It was incredibly hard to walk at pace. So I caught my breath and whispered a quick prayer for strength and started to jog. It was amazingly better the flippers were gone!

This happened a few more times. I would slow down and walk only to start to run because it felt better. I rounded the corner and I saw the finish line. I never thought seeing the finish line would remind me of finishing the race of life but it did. I pulled my one ear bud out so I could hear and I ran as fast as my short legs would go.  I remember looking for my family. I was so excited to cross the finish line. I ran like I was a marathon runner. Arms up in the air chest out. Not really. I was out of breath and shaking. It was over I was greeted with hugs from my wife and kids then I was handed a little bracelet that simply said RUN.  I looked around and saw nothing but smiles what a great feeling.

As I sat in church today listing to the story of Peter denying Christ 3 times and how he was at first so confident that he would not deny Jesus, but Jesus knew he would. And Satan was going to sift him to show his faith was not strong enough to build on the church on. I think Satan thought he had defeated Peter. But after the resurrection Peter face Jesus again humbly professing his love for the Lord 3 times. Peter understood in that moment that it was not by his strength that Jesus would build His church but it was going to be built only by the power of Christ Jesus.

My mind went to the 5K. I though of how the race seemed so long and at times I thought I would run the race like I was still a freshmen in high school. I was so wrong. I found myself sucking air and breathing hard, legs hurting, and lead weights for feet. My head started to hang to the ground. Then the voice started, you know the one that says you can’t do this. You should just give up and walk the path of shame.

It’s like Satan sifting Peter. In that moment we have a choice to hand over our dumb dumb to Jesus or keep it to our selves and try and make it through. In keeping the dumb dumb, we deny Christ and all his power and authority. This is a bigger dumb dumb thing to do, instead we need to profess knowing Jesus and ask for His strength when we have none. He will hear your prayer and answer it. When He is our all in all and our only strength when we are weak we will be successful in His eyes.  So as the doubts came, I did walk and the pain got worse but when I asked for strength and started to run it seem to go away. I did finished strong and yes it was hard but it was easier when I was running to Jesus.

The word RUN on the bracelet was perfect for that day. I need to continue to run to Jesus not walk. So I will continue my training and who knows perhaps you may see Chrissy and I at another 5K stronger and faster but always running to Jesus.

I'm Part of the Walking Dead

One cold February morning I was sitting in the rocking chair looking out the French doors into the snow covered back yard, as I pondered the scripture I had just read. Most winter mornings you can find me in the same spot having my morning connection time with God. This morning as I read my thoughts were drug off to another place.  This is not necessarily a bad thing being a creative person some of my best ideas come from these little rabbit trails. The more I tried to refocus it seemed the stronger the ideas became. I pushed the creative thought process to the side and tried to refocus. Then the scripture started to move with in me and intertwined with the ideas and started to make sense to me.

Earlier in the year I had decided to read the book of Romans again and I had been putting it off until now. So I decided to read a chapter a day during my quiet time and that is how this process got started. Another thing that I started was watching a TV show my kids have recently have been watching. The problem was that the show was about well something that I had always associated with being wicked or dark. Just not what I would have considered something that a good Christian should be spending their time doing. The show has an apocalyptic theme and zombies. When ever I heard someone talking about zombies or the zombie apocalypse I would just roll my eyes and move on or think how stupid is that, the world ending through zombies. Part of me also had strong spiritual issues with it being about the undead. This was just evil, something taking control of the mind and body, if you called yourself a Christian how could you indulge yourself in this? It just isn’t right. So I wanted to try and understand what my kids saw in this show that seemed to intrigue them. I have to say that each of my children have a strong active relationship with the Lord and have pretty good discernment on most things as far as teen kids can. So I needed to try and understand why the interest?

So, I started to watch the show and the more I watched it the more I started to understand why they liked it. It wasn’t the zombies or the violence that is portrayed in the show. It was about the relationships of the characters and the choices they decided to make and even the hard ones they were forced to make. It was about the survival and the fight to hold onto a disappearing belief system that is woven through society. To be honest I too was interested in what they would do. Then my thoughts turned to what would I do if I was forced into a situation like this.

I’m not a corner dooms day crier but if were honest and look around at our society its obvious to see that things in this world are not all happy and shiny. The blatant sinfulness that we are bombarded with daily though media and just living is taking its toll on this world and us. Scripture tells us the even the earth cries out because of our sin. (Romans 8:22)  So something is going to happen one way or another. I rest assure that God has it all under control but some day I may have to make some hard decisions and I’m not sure what I may do. I do know that I will want to stay in Gods will.

As I started in Romans I noticed something an idea. The idea that may be a bit crazy but non the less interesting and worth the time to sit and think for a while about what this could mean. Here it is scripture tells us that we are dead when we are living a sinful life. (Ephesians 2:5)  We are in a world that has the walking dead all around. Now I understand that we are raised to new life in Christ but just the same we are in a sense the dead. The old has passed and the new has come. (Romans 6:4) this is how I see it. In Christ we are made new but still we are slaves to the earthly body. This body will continue to degenerate and fall apart until it will no longer function. When this happens the new creature that has been trapped will be freed and rejoined in heaven with the Father.

Okay you maybe saying yea that’s nice and all and so you see a correlation from scripture to a popular show. Well it’s more than that it’s a culture shift of a younger generation this should be looked at as an opportunity to reach out and bridge a gap. Those who know the truth of what the future holds in this life and beyond can take this pop culture trend and use it to reach those who have little to no understanding of the Gospel. I’m not saying that we all need to watch zombie movies. I am saying that the Church consistently misses the mark on taking things that are on the rise in our culture and using them to reach a unbelieving society who is looking for answers.

You may say well you can’t use everything. That is true some things are not appropriate to use but then sometimes we wait to long to move forward and bridge the gap that the opportunity to make a difference in gone. We must not wait or miss opportunities to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Yes, it may not be our choice way of reaching out but this is not about us.

I have though about that gruesomeness of the killing and all the blood in the show. Here are some of my thoughts. We have a generation that has played games like Halo and mortal combat they have seen things in movies that blow me away. Not to mention the reality shows of the war. Perhaps that may be the key thing to think about we are in a war and the more that we let our guard down and sweep things under rug the less prepared we are for when things do get really bad. We bury our heads in the sand and say that will never happen to me I hope you are right but it may happen to our kids and will they be ready? I’m not saying open Pandora’s box and submerse our kids in this. What I am saying that we need to be smart and think about how we can best help them face whatever the future holds. If you haven’t heard Christian persecution is not over and never will be and it is in even the United States and growing rapidly.

The question is what will you do or how will you handle situations that you find yourself in? If its terrorist, government control, natural disaster to a viral epidemic we need to think about how we can preserve our faith and reach those who are part of this sin ruled disobedient society.

Just some things to think about.

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