A faithful finish

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful." 2 Timothy 4:7 NLT

On September 8, 53-year-old Colonel Christopher J. Wilson, USAR retired, unexpectedly died 2.6 miles into the Marathon distance of the HawkHundred trail run at Clinton State Park in Lawrence, KS. And while his obituary listed his many accomplishments and acts of service to our country, including serving as a Military Police Officer for 33 years with several deployments and then serving in the Army Reserves and at the Pentagon, it also said that he was a devoted husband and father whose "passions were God, family, running, mountain climbing, supporting his fellow military, and enjoying life with those close to him."

And you know, even though Colonel Wilson's Garmin will forever read 2.6 miles indicating that he did not finish that race, it is clear that Christopher "finished the race." You see, when Paul said to Timothy, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful," he was telling him that he had served to the best of his ability and completed the course set before him. He had always kept God first, never wavering in his mission or his passion, and so was ready to cross the finish line into heaven.  

Truthfully, none of us know the length of the course God has set before us. It could be long and it could be short. But one thing is certain, the race will end for all of us one day. And on that day, it won't matter how much money we have in the bank, what fame we might have gained or possessions we might have acquired. The only thing that will matter is that we remained faithful and lived a life of service to the Lord my friend. Will you be able to say you had? 

Heavenly Father, thank You for the reminder that at best our life is short and can be cut even shorter in an instant. Help us to grasp that the only thing that truly matters in this world is loving others, serving others and working to bring others to the foot of the Cross. Help us to put You first that this type of servanthood would be a manifestation of our love for You. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!!!

Heaven Song - Phil Wickham

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qPZIs-AhAM