Hebrews 12:1:
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us"
BarbTalk:
Personally, I hate anything that gets in my way or slows me down when I am on, what Al calls, a Crusade. Those Crusades are usually involving house cleaning or going through a closet or chest of drawers. Removing everything, spreading it all out all over the place, making decisions and putting it back together in an organized fashion is one of my favorite things to do. And, I make sure I do it within a 12 hour period. Nothing left of the mess or Crusade when I am done. I wake up in the morning to an organized drawer or closet, and take in a big, relieving breath, satisfied with what I see.
So what could get in my way? Shiny things are my a downfall. OOO! That's pretty. Or, I could do this with that, etc. But have I? I have had this shiny thing for 4 years, and have I actually done anything with it? Probably not. But it is so hard to give up! I close my eyes and put it in the donation bag. Someone else can enjoy this, I tell myself. I don't dare open that donation bag and look inside again. I might just snatch it up and have that shiny thing in my way once again.
What else stops me from finishing my Crusade? Other projects that really need my attention, or do they? I have heard that we need to let loose of the good and hold onto the best. I look around. Hmmmm. I have this huge mess I have created because of my Crusade, and that over there needs a little clean and polish. Nope. Close your eyes! It is calling! Close your ears! Keep to what you started, keep to the Crusade. Do not be swayed by those "calling out" to you, or those "looking pitiful". They do not need your attention. You are on a mission. Remember the car rally instructions: keep on the road by name. That means don't go on another road. Al and I were always really bad at car rallies because we don't know our right from our left. We finally had to put a big L and R on our windshield to be able to go the correct route. But I digress. Back onto the Road By Name.
Therefore, my Christian walk, or race as Hebrews describes, needs to proceed without being distracted, hindered, or tangled up in things that take me in another direction. For me, the things that distract me are thoughts, or shiny things that take my focus. I need to spend time in prayer and in reading the Word daily. I am so easily distracted that I write my prayers in a journal. When I write, I can stay on the road by name. If I only have my prayers in my head, I end up thinking about grocery lists, things to do, that catalogue I looked at the other day, and oh, don't you need to go shopping for this or that, or remember that show you recorded, when are you going to watch that, or a drive to the coast would be nice, or, or, or, or. I think you get the point. I need to write so I can stay in the race.
I also need to read to stay in the race, on the road by name. But again, my mind will wander off into a a ditch. I have found that I need to write down the scripture, and maybe read it in a few versions, and write them down as well, to stay on the road. I need to read commentaries. I need to write down how I would say the same scripture in my own words. I then need to figure out how to apply that scripture to the road I am on.
As I write this, I think about the first Star Ward movie. (Told you I was easily distracted) When the Rebel Alliance was trying to blow up the Death Star, and all the pilots were in their X Wing Fighters, going down the gullies to the intended target, the leader kept saying: Stay on target! Stay on target! Stay on the Road by Name.
So what keeps you from running the race with perseverance? Grab a journal and start writing. What shows up? What's filling your mind? Is something filling your mind so much that nothing else can fit in? When that happens to me, I usually renounce it, as I figure nothing is that important. If I can't think clearly, then I had better not act, walking through a fog takes concentration, not distraction. As your day goes by, I will be praying that you will throw off everything that hinders and entangles, and that you will stay on the Road by Name.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us"
BarbTalk:
Personally, I hate anything that gets in my way or slows me down when I am on, what Al calls, a Crusade. Those Crusades are usually involving house cleaning or going through a closet or chest of drawers. Removing everything, spreading it all out all over the place, making decisions and putting it back together in an organized fashion is one of my favorite things to do. And, I make sure I do it within a 12 hour period. Nothing left of the mess or Crusade when I am done. I wake up in the morning to an organized drawer or closet, and take in a big, relieving breath, satisfied with what I see.
So what could get in my way? Shiny things are my a downfall. OOO! That's pretty. Or, I could do this with that, etc. But have I? I have had this shiny thing for 4 years, and have I actually done anything with it? Probably not. But it is so hard to give up! I close my eyes and put it in the donation bag. Someone else can enjoy this, I tell myself. I don't dare open that donation bag and look inside again. I might just snatch it up and have that shiny thing in my way once again.
What else stops me from finishing my Crusade? Other projects that really need my attention, or do they? I have heard that we need to let loose of the good and hold onto the best. I look around. Hmmmm. I have this huge mess I have created because of my Crusade, and that over there needs a little clean and polish. Nope. Close your eyes! It is calling! Close your ears! Keep to what you started, keep to the Crusade. Do not be swayed by those "calling out" to you, or those "looking pitiful". They do not need your attention. You are on a mission. Remember the car rally instructions: keep on the road by name. That means don't go on another road. Al and I were always really bad at car rallies because we don't know our right from our left. We finally had to put a big L and R on our windshield to be able to go the correct route. But I digress. Back onto the Road By Name.
Therefore, my Christian walk, or race as Hebrews describes, needs to proceed without being distracted, hindered, or tangled up in things that take me in another direction. For me, the things that distract me are thoughts, or shiny things that take my focus. I need to spend time in prayer and in reading the Word daily. I am so easily distracted that I write my prayers in a journal. When I write, I can stay on the road by name. If I only have my prayers in my head, I end up thinking about grocery lists, things to do, that catalogue I looked at the other day, and oh, don't you need to go shopping for this or that, or remember that show you recorded, when are you going to watch that, or a drive to the coast would be nice, or, or, or, or. I think you get the point. I need to write so I can stay in the race.
I also need to read to stay in the race, on the road by name. But again, my mind will wander off into a a ditch. I have found that I need to write down the scripture, and maybe read it in a few versions, and write them down as well, to stay on the road. I need to read commentaries. I need to write down how I would say the same scripture in my own words. I then need to figure out how to apply that scripture to the road I am on.
As I write this, I think about the first Star Ward movie. (Told you I was easily distracted) When the Rebel Alliance was trying to blow up the Death Star, and all the pilots were in their X Wing Fighters, going down the gullies to the intended target, the leader kept saying: Stay on target! Stay on target! Stay on the Road by Name.
So what keeps you from running the race with perseverance? Grab a journal and start writing. What shows up? What's filling your mind? Is something filling your mind so much that nothing else can fit in? When that happens to me, I usually renounce it, as I figure nothing is that important. If I can't think clearly, then I had better not act, walking through a fog takes concentration, not distraction. As your day goes by, I will be praying that you will throw off everything that hinders and entangles, and that you will stay on the Road by Name.
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