A mind to work is a gift from God

“So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.” Nehemiah 4:6 ESV

In an article published last week titled, “Community Effort to Rebuild LA High's Track,” it was reported that the oldest public school track in Southern California was rundown and the locker room unusable. Some people like head track coach Premier Peavey are trying to change that though. The track should be maintained monthly, Peavey says. But it’s tended to once a year, prior to the start of the track season. A truck arrives with a pile of dirt to refresh the surface, offering a temporary bandage. Lanes are imagined because the track is unmarked. There are no tools on offer to chalk it. Peavey, who has been coaching for a decade, says LA High hasn’t hosted a track competition since 2014, and even then, events like the high jump and hurdles had to be eliminated due to lack of resources. For years though, Peavey has continued to work through limited resources. “I think about them having opportunity and understanding that running can take them anywhere,” Peavey says of his athletes. That’s what compels him to give back however he can, including spending out of pocket to support this team. Peavey envisions a better reality in a distant future, but a lot would have to change. LA native and avid runner Chloe Towns wants to help make it happen. When Towns learned about the plight of the school’s track in 2021, without pause she decided to spearhead a fundraising initiative called “LA Saves Track.” The goal is to fundraise a half million dollars to rebuild LA High’s track and restore its locker room, which has remained closed since 2018 and Towns says harbors mold on the floor. Towns says rebuilding the track will not only benefit track and field athletes, but the entire outdoor sports programs at LA High as well as locals that use the track for daily exercise year-round. With the community on board, I have no doubt they will be successful in their efforts to rebuild.

And you know, when it comes to a community effort to do something significant, the Bible gives us the story of Nehemiah who rallied the community together to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. As with any huge project though, they were met with opposition —opposition so great that it caused the workers to feel defeated and discouraged which prompted Nehemiah to pray for the Lord to intervene and silence the naysayers. To Nehemiah’s delight, God answered the prayer by giving the people “a mind to work,” something they would need to stay united, hopeful, and focused on the task at hand. This “mind to work” was the very thing that allowed them to overcome further opposition and then fully complete the wall in just 52 days proving that “a mind to work” was a gift from God that had immeasurable power. In fact, no significant job will ever be accomplished until people come together with a mind to work.

So if the Lord has placed a dream on your heart that seems intimidating, overwhelming or even impossible, don’t look at the reasons it can’t be done my friend. Instead, with a mind to work, pray for the Lord's intervention and then seek out other community members to come on board and help get it done knowing that with God, nothing is impossible

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that with your help there is no project too big that can’t be completed. Show us the needs in our community Lord and then give us a mind to work to meet these needs by your strength and for your glory so that others might be drawn to the foot of the Cross by our actions. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.

Happy Running!