Our Amazing Race

Your Mom and I love The Amazing Race TV show. We love watching the teams race around the world, completing different challenges called Detours, Road Blocks, and U-Turns. The teams know they’re going to have these challenges, but they don’t know what the actual challenges will be until they get to them. At the end there are 3 teams racing to the finish line to win 1 million dollars. As they come to the finish line the teams that were already eliminated (Because they were eliminated they have already finished their race) are lined up on both sides of the finish line and they are cheering as the teams race in.

Our spiritual life is much like The Amazing Race. We have detours as we go through life. We have road blocks and even some u-turns that we didn’t expect (John 16:33, “…In the world you have trouble and suffering…”). We know we will have challenges, but we don’t know what they will be or when they will occur until we get to them. What we don’t think about very often is that we’re racing towards the finish line (1 Tim. 4:7, “I have completed well, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith!”), and that finish line is heaven and being with our Lord.

By the time we each finish our own race we will have had several people who have finished their race and gone onto heaven. When it comes my time to finish my race I picture those people (like my unborn son, brother and Dad) standing around “the finish line” cheering me as I walk up. I miss a lot of these people very much, but it gives me comfort to know they will be there cheering me as I enter the gates of heaven. What a great finish to the biggest race of all time …talk about a great reality show!

In The Amazing Race TV show when the winning team finishes they aren’t thinking about the struggles, Detour challenges, or Road Blocks. They’re just happy to finish and win. And at that moment all the struggles and challenges are worth it. When we enter the gates we won’t be thinking about all our struggles, challenges, trials, and troubles (John 16:33, “…but take courage, I have conquered the world”), we’ll just be glad we finished and we’re home.

The main difference between The Amazing Race and our race is that we have The Judge helping us through our race (Heb. 4:16, “Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help.”) making sure we get through the detours, road blocks, and u-turns, and making sure we reach The finish line.

No, we won’t win a million dollars but we have already won something far more valuable, 1 Tim. 4:8, “Finally the crown of righteousness is reserved for me. The Lord, the righteous Judge, will award it to me in that day – and not to me only, but also to all who have set their affection on his appearing.”

Love Ya,
Dad

2 Cor. 4:8 We are experiencing trouble on every side, but are not crushed; we are perplexed, but not driven to despair;

Act 26:22 I have experienced help from God to this day...

Psa 121:2 My help comes from the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth!

Phil. 1:19 for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.