The race!

Last night I was excited to drive in the “faster Pastor race” at the race track in Willmar! I was given the car I wanted to drive! Nick Simar, the owner and driver of the car had blown away the competition in the final race! I was pumped! May be a little over confident, but excited to get the race going! As we lined up for the race, I looked over the other cars in the race and said to myself, this will be easy! A PT Cruiser, and two other beaters were all I had to beat, and I was driving a rear wheel drive Mustang, completely rebuilt during the off-season, and Nick had won the first two races of the season! Reason to be confident you bet, hand me the trophy and we can save a little time! When the race started, I knew I was in trouble! Yes, it starts with “T” an rymes with “OH, me!” The car was too good for my skill set, I was left to look at the rear bumpers of the “junk” in front of me! It is amazing how God lets us learn life lessons in such simple and humbling ways! He sasy he looks at the heart, and not at outward appearances! I was over confident, proud and assuming victory, instead of running the race before me! At the end of the race Pastor Paul tried to make me feel better by saying I was content to be last, because according to Scripture I could claim to be first! In his writings to the churches, Paul, the aspostle, encourages us to run the race to win the prize, which is living a life of obedience to God, keeping our eyes on his son Jesus! Last night I did not win the prize given by “men”, but I did finish the race, doing my best, and not wrecking Nicks nice “new” car! He was happy, his dad wad happy, and I found joy in running the race! May we find peace and joy in running the race of life! Keeping our eyes on Jesus and finding contentment in pleasing our heavenly Father, rather than men.