Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
"I will run the way of thy commandments". Psalm 119:32
In a matter of days U.S. athletes will compete in the London Olympic Games. Each one has practiced long and hard in their event hoping to win a gold medal. There are numerous events, like track and field and gymnastics are well-known to the average spectator. However there were some like badminton and canoeing that are lesser known Olympic events.
With all of these athletes, I know there will be at least one that will stand out due to their performance. Perhaps they will win several gold medals and maybe set a world record. Overnight they will become household words and gain countless endorsements.
What about all of the rest of the athletes who may not win or even place in their event? Are they a failure because they lose? Certainly not! As long as one tries their best, they are never a loser. It is a shame the world doesn't see the big picture instead of focusing solely on the winners.
As a teenager I longed to play softball but spent most of my time sitting on the bench. Once in a while I was able to play left field and I dreaded someone hitting a ball to me. While I tried my best, I just wasn't built to be an athlete. As a result I wasn't very popular and tried to blend into the crowd so I wouldn't be noticed. On the other hand, my brother was a star football player on a winning team. Everyone knew who he was. The football players were the stars of the school and basked in the limelight of their success.
It took me many years to accept this fact and I lived like I was a second class citizen. It wasn't until I learned how much God loved me that I changed my outlook on life. I came to realize that I had worth for just being me but at the same time God gave me talents to use for His glory that my brother didn't possess. It was easy for me to get discouraged and I wished I knew at the time the words of comfort in Isaiah 40:31: "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint".
As we continue on the race for the finish I pray that we will all realize we are winners in God's Olympic Games because we never gave up. True, there may be numerous times when we want to give up and throw in the towel, but those are the times we need to hang in there and keep going.
The writer of Hebrews assures us there is a "cloud of witnesses" around us to encourage us to keep going. Hebrews 12:1-2 continues with these words: "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith". Though the race is long and hard, each one of us is just as important as the other. We may not get a great deal of praise on this earth but one day we will receive our reward.
Debra Whittington is a longtime resident of Tucumcari. Contact her at:
