IN THE STARTING GATE

2/12/2019

ONE OF THE COOLEST PLACES I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO IS THE KENTUCKY DERBY! IT IS A PLACE OF TRADITION, WHERE DREAMS ARE MADE. THE EVOLUTION OF FINDING THAT PERFECT HORSE THAT CAN RUN FOR THE ROSES AS FAST AS HE OR SHE CAN, WITH EVERYTHING IN THEIR BODY AND SOUL TO CAPTURE THE CROWN AND ALL THE DEEP MEANING THAT GOES WITH IT. TRULY AN AMAZING MOMENT IN TIME. MY WIFE JULIE HAS BEEN THERE…..A SPECIAL PLACE IN HER HEART, AS SHE WAS RAISED IN A FAMILY WHO LOVED AND TRAINED HORSES. TO MAKE IT TO THE “DERBY” TAKES A LOT OF HARD WORK, HOURS OF TRAINING, AND BEING GOOD ENOUGH IN YOUR PREVIOUS RACES TO BE INVITED. ENTRY FEES, VETERINARIAN BILLS, INJURIES….SOMEDAY I HAVE TO BE THERE….WATCHING AS THE FIELD OF HORSES MOVE UP THE TRACK AND INTO THE STARTING GATE. EACH HORSE AND JOCKEY SO READY TO LET IT ALL OUT….AND THEY’RE OFF!!!

WHEN I LOOK AT MY LIFE IN CHRIST, SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE THOSE HORSES AND JOCKEYS, I WAS IN THAT STARTING GATE. SO FILLED WITH EXCITEMENT TO SET MYSELF FREE AND RUN FOR ALL I WAS WORTH. I HAD FINALLY REACHED THAT MOMENT….IT WAS TIME TO GO FOR IT….IT WAS TIME TO BE FREE IN JESUS AND I STARTED RUNNING….TO HIM, AND FOR HIM :) BUT YOU HAVE TO REACH THE GATE TO RUN.

BUT WAIT…I DON’T EVEN SEE A GATE…MY LIFE IS A COIN. IT HAS TWO SIDES, AND THEY ARE SOOO DIFFERENT.

SIDE ONE;

I KNOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT IS EASY, AND ANYONE CAN DO IT ! WHAT ARE YOU, A SIMPLETON? BELIEVING IN A GOD YOU CAN’T SEE EVERY DAY? HOW CAN YOU EVEN BELIEVE THAT THE BIBLE IS FACTUAL. IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF MYTHICAL STORIES THAT SOMEONE MADE UP. MY LIFE IS BUSY. I HAVE THINGS TO DO AND CHALLENGES TO OVERCOME. LOOK AT HOW SUCCESSFUL I AM. I HAVE A BLAST WITH MY FRIENDS, AND I MAKE A LOT OF MONEY. I DRIVE A COOL CAR, MY APARTMENT IS HIP, AND MY WORLD COULDN’T BE ANY BETTER….. I’M GETTING MARRIED SOON, AND WE WANT KIDS…. ALL I NEED I HAVE.

SIDE TWO:

I THOUGHT MY LIFE WOULD BE BETTER. I CAN’T FIND A JOB, AND WHEN I DO, IT PAYS NOTHING AND I HATE IT. WILL I EVER MEET ANYONE? MY FRIENDS SEEM SO SHALLOW. DO THEY EVEN CARE ABOUT ME? I AM BURIED IN DEBT. MY CAR IS BREAKING DOWN, AND I STILL OWE A TON OF MONEY ON IT WHO ARE YOU GOD?. WHERE ARE YOU GOD? THEY SAY YOU LOVE ME….IM LOSING HOPE…..

THE TRUTH IS THAT THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE IN SUCH DIFFERENT PLACES IN THEIR LIVES. i THINK IT IS REALLY HARD TO PUT YOURSELVES IN SOMEONE ELSE’S SHOES AND TRULY KNOW WHERE THEY ARE. I REALIZE THAT FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, MY BLOG IS NOT GOING TO RESONATE OR NECESSARILY BE AS RELEVANT AS I WOULD LIKE. WHAT I DO WANT IT TO DO IS TO BRING HOPE, AND CHALLENGE ALL OF US TO CARE FOR EACH OTHER AND LOVE EACH OTHER I AM ALSO CHALLENGING CHRISTIANS TO GET BUSY LIVING FOR CHRIST INSTEAD OF MAKING EXCUSES! THAT IS WHAT GOD HAS PUT ON MY HEART. WE HAVE ALL HEARD THAT QUESTION…”AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER”??? I’LL ANSWER IT….YOU BET YOU ARE, AND THAT IS PUTTING IT THE POLITE WAY!

YOU MAY BE A PERSON WHO HAS NO BELIEF IN GOD, YOU MAY BE A PERSON SEARCHING FOR MEANING IN SOMETHING, YOU MAY BE A 2X A YEAR CHURCH GOER, OR ANY EVERY SUNDAY BELIEVER, OR AN “ALL IN” FOLLOWER OF JESUS. MY MESSAGE IS FOR EVERYONE. START LOOKING FOR THE STARTING GATE WITH GOD. HE IS REAL, AND HE IS THERE FOR YOU. HE CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE, HE CAN REFRESH YOUR LIFE, HE CAN INVIGORATE YOUR LIFE, AND HE CAN MAKE YOUR LIFE EVERY BIT AS INCREDIBLE AS HE WANTS IT TO BE FOR YOU !!!

TAKE A RISK. FIND OUT WHO HE IS. ASK A FRIEND. PICK UP A BIBLE. GO TO A CHURCH SERVICE. SIT DOWN BY YOURSELF, AND LOOK UP AND ASK HIM TO SPEAK TO YOU! BUT BE PREPARED. HE WILL COME AFTER YOU, AND YOUR LIFE, AND HE WILL LOVE YOU UNCONDITIONALLY, AND HE WILL CHANGE YOUR HEART AND ENTIRE BEING.

MY FRIEND STEVE FOLEY WHO PLAYED SAFETY FOR THE DENVER BRONCOS HAS AN AMAZING STORY ABOUT HIS FAITH. HE GOT SO FRUSTRATED WITH GOD NUDGING HIM AND INTERRUPTING HIS LIFE AS AN INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL ATHLETE THAT HE TOLD HIM “GOD, EITHER SHOW ME YOU ARE REAL, OR GET OUT OF MY LIFE, AND LEAVE ME ALONE”! THAT WAS A LOT OF YEARS AGO, AND STEVE IS ONE OF MY BROTHERS THAT ALWAYS HELPS ME GET STRONGER IN MY FAITH, AND BOY, GOD IS SURE REAL IN HIS LIFE.

GOD WANTS YOU. HE WANTS YOU TO LET GO OF ALL THIS WORLD ASKS US TO DO AND BE, AND SIMPLY GIVE YOUR LIFE TO HIM. RUN WITH HIM, AND WATCH YOUR LIFE BEGIN TO SOAR ….

Isaiah 40:31 BUT THOSE WHO HOPE IN THE LORD WILL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH. THEY WILL SOAR ON WINGS LIKE EAGLES; THEY WILL RUN AND NOT GROW WEARY; THEY WILL WALK AND NOT BE FAINT.

BE BLESSED, AND LOOK TO RUN. JA