The Race

In early ’95, my wife and our three kids went to a large department store to scout inline skates for our kids. We eyed them and took notes because the next day, Sunday, they’d go on sale. However, the selection was small. The next morning, my son and I headed there while the rest of the family went to church, where we’d catch up later.
We took the escalator down to the main entrance where a crowd of seniors were anxiously waiting for the gate to open. Our son told me to chill-not to rush in as I usually did, to allow the elderly to go first. He then motioned that we should step back and allow them to stay up front. After all, we didn’t want to hurt them by rushing in to grab our items. As the gate began to rise, and even before it went all the way up, those seniors CHARGED! Some in wheelchairs, others with crutches, walkers, on two feet, whether limping, hopping, or however they could, they bent down underneath the gate and pushed each other elbowing whoever was next to them! My son looked at me, his eyebrows raised, shook his head as if saying, “Dag, look at them go, they would have trampled us down!”
Regardless of age or condition, we’re all in a race. Some, going somewhere, others, going nowhere. But racing, we are. We all have a goal or goals. Billions of Christians are in a race; a race against time. People confuse our goals and objectives. When Noah entered the ark, he didn’t close the ark; God did (Genesis 7:16). So, what’s our race about? God has promised to soon shut the door on all things by a series of events known as the End Times. We’re extremely near it! Look around! Read the news! Since no one knows exactly when it’ll be, we want to warn everybody so as to be ready (saved) when He calls His believers home.
Long ago, Noah announced a flood was coming. Over a hundred years went by, and still not even a drop of rain. Remember, no one knew what rain was; since it had never rained before. But once the rains began to fall as drops, then puddles, like buckets, tubs, etc. people began banging on the ark and probably repenting of their sinful ways, and for mocking Noah and his family. But it was too late. Millions climbed to higher ground, to no avail.
Likewise, now, people believe it’s mockery and nonsense that fire will fall from heaven, or that stars will fall to the earth, or that the sun will get 7 times hotter; but when it comes…
What did Jesus say about that? He said, “Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near” (Luke 21:31). We need not trample one another for the kingdom’s sake; don’t need to elbow anyone; we shall all get there, if we’re saved. But we do need to run the race God has set before us not doubting or behaving foolishly, but always expecting God’s imminent return. But if we’re not ready yet, it’ll be too late! You’ll have missed the boat, as the saying goes.
However, once there, we’ll be able to skate down the streets of gold! No wheelchairs, no walkers, no canes, no pushing, and without any injuries!
I won’t say my son and I had to wrangle some skates off some old men and women, or that they took ours, but we did manage to get what we had set out to buy- peacefully!
Sweet skating!
God Bless,
Sam