Mom and the Tortoise and my amazing Father

One hundred six years ago today, my mom was born in Tacoma, WA. Seven years ago, as of the 10th of this month, she passed away in Portland, OR, just eight days short of her 99th birthday. She might have made 100, had she not fallen and broken her back in three places. She was bright and alert and healthy up until that time, although her body was wearing out. 

I guess the point of this reminiscence is that none of us ever knows what is coming or how long we will be around to find out. As I reflect on my journey through the land of leukemia, I realize how important it is to live everyday to the fullest. The author of the Book of Hebrews wrote, "...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." (Hebrews 12:1) In other words, we are given so many days on this earth, and we need to continue moving forward as long as the Lord gives us breath.

You are no doubt familiar with Aesop's fable of the tortoise and the hare:

The Hare was once boasting of his speed before the other animals. “I have never yet been beaten,” said he, “when I put forth my full speed. I challenge any one here to race with me.”

The Tortoise said quietly, “I accept your challenge.”

“That is a good joke,” said the Hare; “I could dance round you all the way.”

“Keep your boasting till you’ve beaten,” answered the Tortoise. “Shall we race?”

So a course was fixed and a start was made. The Hare darted almost out of sight at once, but soon stopped and, to show his contempt for the Tortoise, lay down to have a nap. The Tortoise plodded on and plodded on, and when the Hare awoke from his nap, he saw the Tortoise just near the winning-post and could not run up in time to save the race. Then said the Tortoise:

“Plodding wins the race.”

King Solomon, the wisest among men, wrote in Ecclesiastes, chapter 9:

Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. ¹² For man does not know his time. (vv. 11-12)

So, what does it look like to "run with endurance the race that is set before us?" As I walk daily with my Lord, I have learned that the endurance isn't about physical conditioning or great strength (...nor the battle to the strong...). The endurance is about faith. It is tempting, when things look bleak or discouraging, to lose hope and to lose faith. Many people think, "if God loves me, why am I going through [insert your trial here]." The Apostle James wrote:

 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³ for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴ And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4)

Steadfastness reads a lot like endurance in my book.  And so, like the tortoise, in the race of life, we are called to plod on in the faith that by doing so, we will reach the winning-post. It is not about being the swiftest, the strongest, the wisest, the most intelligent or most knowledgeable. No, the Lord has told us through the prophet Hosea:

For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
    the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:6)

All of this tells me that, above all, I am called to "...walk by the Spirit [of God]..the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:16, 22-23, bracketed material added) It took me a long time to learn that it is not my job to cultivate love, joy peace, etc., so that I may walk by the Spirit. Rather those things are the FRUIT of walking by the Spirit of God. I had it backwards. (Jill can tell you that is not unusual for me.) In other words, it is faith that God is good and that His promises are trustworthy that allow me to rest in His love and in the knowledge that He will never leave me nor forsake me (see Hebrews 13:5). Out of that faith comes the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, and so on. 

Isn't God an amazing Father? In exchange for my faith and trust in Him, he just keeps on giving and giving. (In fact, my faith and trust have little or nothing to do with His generosity. It is His nature.) Leukemia is not one of His gifts, although He has allowed me to experience that. Why? I refer you back to the Apostle James: 

"...for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness [endurance]. ⁴ And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:3-4, bracketed material added)

For some of us harder-headed folks, it takes a bit more to teach us to trust, but the reward is great. I mean, who doesn't want "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control?"

"...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."