Win The Race With Endurance

Today has been a good day. How many of you get up in the mornings and say this? Do you get up with anticipation and drive to do all that you can in peace, or do you get up dreading the day before it even starts? You have a choice to either be grateful or in torment. 

After a great call with a friend I haven't seen or talked to in over 30 years until a few weeks ago spoke so much life and confirmation in to me today.  I was reminded about endurance and running the race that God has placed me in. This race is nothing about what I want, it's about what His will is for me and nothing more. You see, we have to surrender our will for His will because as you know, God's will is the platform in which we have been placed at the starting line to run and not faint or grow weary. We been called and hand picked for a time such as now. Its urgent and immediate. Are you running to it or from it? 

The past few months have been challenging on many levels and with these challenges my mental health took a nose dive away from balance to chaos. To sum it up, I ended up leaving Miami, Florida for what appeared to be a blessing (I thought) to move to California. That was not fruitful. I left California to come back to Tacoma, Washington where my family still resides, (wasn't my plan or desire). But God. While here in Washington, a very close and dear sister friend of 45 years passed away due to cancer. This was the breaking point though I tried to keep it together. Cynthia's passing hit me harder than I anticipated and with that, my mental health took a nose dive into anger, doubt, fear, anguish, and uncertainty. I began to question all that I have set out to do and accomplish. I questioned God and what He wanted me to do. I questioned the people in my life and those not in my life. I wanted to run. I still want to run. This crack in my emotional wall allowed the enemy to creep in, and therein lies the problem of not keeping my eyes fully and completely on God and what His word says. In this time, Cynthia's ex-husband, we call him Tee travelled from Memphis to see her in her last days. Now some would say, why would he do that? One word, God. You see, the flesh will cause us to set limits and boundaries on friendships and in most cases rightly and justly so. But in other cases in God's way and timing, He will direct us to do what is confusing to those who don't know Him and His will. I had not seen this man in 39 years. When I him in the hallway of the care center where Cynthia was being cared for, I know now as God telling me, was my long lost brother. There was a shift in the air and I know now, that I was blessed with a ram in the spiritual bush. Another spiritual soldier to fight along side in this time of spiritual warfare. That ram has not only confirmed God's word, but has given me the reminder that I must run this race of life with endurance and confidence, knowing that in the end, my surrender to the will of God will give me just what I need when I need it. I was reminded that no matter what it looks like, it was already written for my journey. 

With Thomas's permission, I'm going to share with you what he wrote and it sums it up in a gigantic nutshell. 

"As I continue to write to you, today the Holy Spirit takes me to Hebrews 12:1-2. It talks about the race we are running. Yes, we all are running this race called (Life). Some are running it lawfully while others are running it unlawfully. The Bible teaches us how we are to run it. First, it encourages us by telling us that many before us have already ran this race, crossed the finish line, and have obtained the crown of victory. To run, first one must lay aside (take off, strip down) every weight and sin that easily beats us (hinders, pulls us down). That means stuff and yes, it also means "People". Secondly, we must run with patience. Life's race is filled with many obstacles (problems). We can't be anxious for anything, we must slow down, negotiate these obstacles, and continue on our race. Finally, we must look to (have faith in, trust) JESUS who is our greatest example. For all that He went through for "US" we must stay in the race, cross the finish line, obtain the victory, and receive the (Crown of lift). Stay in the race."  Rev. T.L. Sutton

My brothers and sisters, I know that we are facing many challenges and most of them we have no control over. I know what you may be saying, but you don't know what I am going through, you don't know my pain, you don't know what so and so did or said. Guess what; YES I do. I may not know how life has hit you, I do know the pain of how life can hit you.  I encourage you to fall back from it all and do only what you must do. Take some time in silence, read and meditate on the scriptures, trust me your answers, you healing, and your victory are there. Just know that no matter what, you have to change the narrative while allowing God to do the rest for you to run the race only you can win. Be steadfast in the surrendering of your will to His. Let go of every weight and watch your endurance increase so that you can win. And win you will. 

Peace be unto you.