I finished tying the laces on my bright orange Nikes and put on my red, white, and blue racing singlet. I toed the line, elbow to elbow with teammates and competitors in anticipation of the gun. As the shot sounded, I exploded off the line with hundreds of other runners. I raced the first two miles with excitement and energy. Each step smoothly developed as if I was gliding through the course. However, with one mile to go my legs started knotting up. I was tired and trying to find a way to fight through the last mile.
A lot of times in life, I feel the exact same way I do when I race; the first couple of miles feel great, but I grow weary with one mile to go. In the beginning of the week, I am excited and intent to read my Bible. By the end of the week, I am ready to stop reading so I can just take a nap. Throughout most of the school year, I diligently do my homework and assignments. When the end of the semester nears, I grow lazy and can hardly focus enough to study. When I make any sort of commitment, I work hard to stay committed for as long as possible, but always eventually fail. By the end, I just grow tired and weary and have to fight to keep going.
This past week, God has shown me a reason to keep pushing through the last mile in all aspects of life. In His Word, Hebrews 12:1-3 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.”
When I grow tired during the last mile, I have the example of Jesus Christ, the One who endured hostility from sinners for me. Whenever I feel like giving up because I am tired, I can remember the one who was nailed to a cross for my sins. He was tired and weary and at any point could have pulled himself off that cross, but He endured until the end. He suffered the last mile. I need to look to Jesus so I will not grow weary or fainthearted. He suffered so much for me and if he could endure the cross, I can endure the last mile in the aspects of my life.
The reason I changed the title of my blog to ConsideredCross is because I have decided to make Hebrews 12:1-3 the verse my summer is going to be based around. When I grow tired of going to work this summer, I want to consider the cross. When I grow tired of training for cross country, I want to consider what Christ did on the cross. When I grow tired of reading my Bible every morning, I want to consider Jesus Christ, the One who suffered God’s wrath on the cross. By the end of the summer I want to say that I considered the cross and pushed through the last mile because Christ has given me the strength to do so.
When the summer ends, I want to be able to finish the story of my race saying, “With one mile to go my legs started knotting up. I was tired and trying to find a way to fight through the last mile. However, I considered the work of Jesus. He did so much for me and I knew I could finish the race because He endured. I did not grow weary or fainthearted because I know that my God conquered the grave. I raced the last mile with legs burning, but I finished strong. I crossed the line knowing that I gave it my best as I ran the race of endurance, looking to Jesus all the way.”
May 5, 2011
February 16, 2011
The Day I Now Look Forward To
As a runner, I always look forward to race day. Racing is exciting and is the best part of running. Lacing the spikes, stepping to the line, and waiting for the gun fill me with energy as I approach each race. My mindset changed today though. Running is much more than looking forward to race day.
This past week I received a phone call from my mom. She explained to me that she had blood work taken and something was wrong. She needed to quickly rush to the hospital for a blood transfusion and she didn’t know if she was going to live. She wanted to tell me she loved me just in case anything happened. I prayed with her and told her I loved her. Then we both hung up. I cried and couldn’t help to wonder if I would ever speak to my mom again. I was scared and really troubled over the thought of my mom dying. I decided to trust God would handle everything and I knew she was in His hands. God really did have her in his hands because I am glad to say my mom is home from the hospital and is doing a lot better.
This whole situation has made me reevaluate my running and the respect I have for my mom. In order to share what I’ve learned I need to explain my background. Nineteen years ago I was born. During my birth complications occurred that slowly took away my mom's ability to walk. She had to learn to live a completely different lifestyle. For a young married couple, like my mother and father, this was definitely a difficult situation. Taking care of a new born child and learning how to live without the ability to walk is not something a young couple should have to deal with. I don't know how my parents did it. My mom is strong though. My mom wants my family to treat her like everyone else and she is able to do many things on her own. She uses her story to present the gospel to others. She provides for our family like any other mother would. Yes, my mom experiences difficulties with being paralyzed. She does get frustrated and tired at times. But through all the pain, my mom has so much joy for life and I know this comes through her faith in Christ. I thank her for her faith. Without it, she would have never shared the gospel with me as a small child. I would not be saved without the cross and I’m thankful that my mother presented it to me. Without my mother's faith, the joy Christ has given to her life would not be as evident in the difficulties of being paralyzed. Christ has saved my mother and has given her joy in the discomforts of not being able to walk. Christ has used my mother to reveal his love to me.
Throughout my childhood, I attended Calvary Baptist Church in Reading, Pennsylvania with my family. I learned so much from going to church there each Sunday. I discovered more about Christ and I grew in my maturity with Christ. My mother was an influence on my life as she taught me how to be a true follower of Christ in the midst of difficulties. I started running as well. I began track in 7th grade and quickly developed as a runner. I ran for myself and wanted to win more than anything. Running became a major part of who I am, but I only ran for myself. I neglected God with my running and I wanted to win more than anything, even to the point where I forgot about presenting the gospel to others.
Throughout my teenage years, I had some struggles. I always had the thought that my testimony was insignificant because I got saved at a young age. My story wasn't very exciting. I also sometimes thought that my mom being paralyzed was my fault. I remember thinking a couple of times during my junior year that if I wasn't born, my mom could walk right now. My mom always told me though that she would always give up walking for my life. She loves me and is happy that I was born, even with the circumstances. My mom's love helped me, but I still wish she could walk.
So as I ran through the woods the other day, thinking about what happened to my mom this week, I finally started to realize some things about my life, my testimony, and my mother. After thinking about losing my mother, I have truly started to be thankful for what she has given up for me. As I grew up I never comprehended what my mom had given up in order for me to have life. It's difficult for me to understand what was taken from her when I’ve never been able to see her walk. I’m now starting to better realize the extent of what she has done for me. I couldn't imagine not being able to walk but she gave it up so I could have life. The beauty of that is incredible to me. I want to thank her each day whether I tell her or show her through my running. I know that it wasn't my fault that she became paralyzed. It is all part of God's plan. I also learned how thankful I am that God has given me the ability to run. I am saddened that I get to run while my mother can't walk but I know it is for the glory of Christ. I want to show my thanks to Him and my mom through running. I also now know that my testimony is worth sharing. My mother and running have embedded themselves within my testimony. I have grown up in a home where my mother has had difficulties. My mom has been an inspiration to me though, as she has shown me how to live for Christ. I no longer run for myself either. My running is now about Christ and thanking my mom. The story of my mother and how she has affected my life is all part of God's plan. God has used my mom to tell others how Christ can change their lives, even in the midst of struggles. God is now going to use me to share Christ with others, as I, the son of a paralyzed woman, use my legs to honor Christ through running. God works in mysterious and difficult ways sometimes, but it is always beautiful.
So I decided while I raced through the woods today, running is no longer about my enjoyment. I no longer solely look forward to race day each week. I am thankful for every day I can run. Running is my ministry and I can share my story through running every single day. As a runner, the day I look forward to most in not race day anymore. It is the day I can lace up my shoes in heaven, and ask my mother to join me on a run. I can't wait to show her the joy of running I have discovered on earth.
This past week I received a phone call from my mom. She explained to me that she had blood work taken and something was wrong. She needed to quickly rush to the hospital for a blood transfusion and she didn’t know if she was going to live. She wanted to tell me she loved me just in case anything happened. I prayed with her and told her I loved her. Then we both hung up. I cried and couldn’t help to wonder if I would ever speak to my mom again. I was scared and really troubled over the thought of my mom dying. I decided to trust God would handle everything and I knew she was in His hands. God really did have her in his hands because I am glad to say my mom is home from the hospital and is doing a lot better.
This whole situation has made me reevaluate my running and the respect I have for my mom. In order to share what I’ve learned I need to explain my background. Nineteen years ago I was born. During my birth complications occurred that slowly took away my mom's ability to walk. She had to learn to live a completely different lifestyle. For a young married couple, like my mother and father, this was definitely a difficult situation. Taking care of a new born child and learning how to live without the ability to walk is not something a young couple should have to deal with. I don't know how my parents did it. My mom is strong though. My mom wants my family to treat her like everyone else and she is able to do many things on her own. She uses her story to present the gospel to others. She provides for our family like any other mother would. Yes, my mom experiences difficulties with being paralyzed. She does get frustrated and tired at times. But through all the pain, my mom has so much joy for life and I know this comes through her faith in Christ. I thank her for her faith. Without it, she would have never shared the gospel with me as a small child. I would not be saved without the cross and I’m thankful that my mother presented it to me. Without my mother's faith, the joy Christ has given to her life would not be as evident in the difficulties of being paralyzed. Christ has saved my mother and has given her joy in the discomforts of not being able to walk. Christ has used my mother to reveal his love to me.
Throughout my childhood, I attended Calvary Baptist Church in Reading, Pennsylvania with my family. I learned so much from going to church there each Sunday. I discovered more about Christ and I grew in my maturity with Christ. My mother was an influence on my life as she taught me how to be a true follower of Christ in the midst of difficulties. I started running as well. I began track in 7th grade and quickly developed as a runner. I ran for myself and wanted to win more than anything. Running became a major part of who I am, but I only ran for myself. I neglected God with my running and I wanted to win more than anything, even to the point where I forgot about presenting the gospel to others.
Throughout my teenage years, I had some struggles. I always had the thought that my testimony was insignificant because I got saved at a young age. My story wasn't very exciting. I also sometimes thought that my mom being paralyzed was my fault. I remember thinking a couple of times during my junior year that if I wasn't born, my mom could walk right now. My mom always told me though that she would always give up walking for my life. She loves me and is happy that I was born, even with the circumstances. My mom's love helped me, but I still wish she could walk.
So as I ran through the woods the other day, thinking about what happened to my mom this week, I finally started to realize some things about my life, my testimony, and my mother. After thinking about losing my mother, I have truly started to be thankful for what she has given up for me. As I grew up I never comprehended what my mom had given up in order for me to have life. It's difficult for me to understand what was taken from her when I’ve never been able to see her walk. I’m now starting to better realize the extent of what she has done for me. I couldn't imagine not being able to walk but she gave it up so I could have life. The beauty of that is incredible to me. I want to thank her each day whether I tell her or show her through my running. I know that it wasn't my fault that she became paralyzed. It is all part of God's plan. I also learned how thankful I am that God has given me the ability to run. I am saddened that I get to run while my mother can't walk but I know it is for the glory of Christ. I want to show my thanks to Him and my mom through running. I also now know that my testimony is worth sharing. My mother and running have embedded themselves within my testimony. I have grown up in a home where my mother has had difficulties. My mom has been an inspiration to me though, as she has shown me how to live for Christ. I no longer run for myself either. My running is now about Christ and thanking my mom. The story of my mother and how she has affected my life is all part of God's plan. God has used my mom to tell others how Christ can change their lives, even in the midst of struggles. God is now going to use me to share Christ with others, as I, the son of a paralyzed woman, use my legs to honor Christ through running. God works in mysterious and difficult ways sometimes, but it is always beautiful.
So I decided while I raced through the woods today, running is no longer about my enjoyment. I no longer solely look forward to race day each week. I am thankful for every day I can run. Running is my ministry and I can share my story through running every single day. As a runner, the day I look forward to most in not race day anymore. It is the day I can lace up my shoes in heaven, and ask my mother to join me on a run. I can't wait to show her the joy of running I have discovered on earth.
November 14, 2010
Jesus clears John the Baptist's doubts (and mine)
I haven't written on my blog for a significantly long time. I tell myself I don't have the time to type in my blog, but I really do. It doesn't matter though, because I'm back. I don't know how to begin my entry back into the blogging community so I'm just going to tell an awesome story. Did you ever have someone do something so amazing for you that you just had to share it with others? Well God did something really awesome for me a couple of months ago that I just have to share! I feel guilty for not sharing it earlier but there is no point in getting wrapped up in guilt. I will just talk about it now. Here's my story:
One of my classes here at Liberty is called Contemporary Issues. The class is basically just learning about different worldviews and in particular, a biblical worldview. During one of my assignments for class, I discovered that I wasn't absolutely sure my faith in Christ was my own. I started asking myself questions like: Is this my faith or my church's faith? Do I really believe that Christ is God, is the Son of God, and died on the cross for my sins? I wanted to believe these things but I had never discovered them for myself. I always relied on what other people told me. I was a little discouraged thinking about all of this and I really wanted to be sure I believed in all of these things.
Before I could even start searching for answers, God gave me an answer. God proved to me that He is God and that Jesus is His Son. As soon as I finished my assignment for Contemporary Issues, I continued working on an assignment for my New Testament class. My assignment was to read the book of Matthew. I had already read the first 10 chapters so i picked up my bible and started reading Chapter 11. After reading the first six verses of chapter 11, I knew that Jesus was God and that God is my God. I'm going to type out the first six verses so you can see them.
"When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teafch and preach in their cities. Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" And Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended of me."
You see, like John, I wanted to know whehter Christ was the Son of God, the one who is to come. Then as Jesus replied in this passage, I almost felt like He was speaking directly to me. He said to me, look at all of the miracles I have done. I have made the blind receive sight and the lame can walk. I am the Son of God. Are you going to believe it?
Well I decided to believe Jesus and make this faith my own. If he can make the blind have their sight and the lepers be cleansed, He has to be the Son of God. He has to be God himself. This also means that he sadly had to take my position on the cross, but I thank him for that. Without him, my life would be nothing but a pathway to death. With him, I can choose to follow a pathway towards life. Christ has provided my a way to eternal life with the Father, my creator, in heaven.
I thank God for having me read this passage at the time I did. I always believed that Christ was my savior and I didn't honestly doubt it, but I needed to make sure it was my own faith. God pointed me directly to Matthew 11 and I now know that my faith in Christ is my own. God works in great but small ways and I am grateful for who He is (even if I will never in my entire life fully understand him).
One of my classes here at Liberty is called Contemporary Issues. The class is basically just learning about different worldviews and in particular, a biblical worldview. During one of my assignments for class, I discovered that I wasn't absolutely sure my faith in Christ was my own. I started asking myself questions like: Is this my faith or my church's faith? Do I really believe that Christ is God, is the Son of God, and died on the cross for my sins? I wanted to believe these things but I had never discovered them for myself. I always relied on what other people told me. I was a little discouraged thinking about all of this and I really wanted to be sure I believed in all of these things.
Before I could even start searching for answers, God gave me an answer. God proved to me that He is God and that Jesus is His Son. As soon as I finished my assignment for Contemporary Issues, I continued working on an assignment for my New Testament class. My assignment was to read the book of Matthew. I had already read the first 10 chapters so i picked up my bible and started reading Chapter 11. After reading the first six verses of chapter 11, I knew that Jesus was God and that God is my God. I'm going to type out the first six verses so you can see them.
"When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teafch and preach in their cities. Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" And Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended of me."
You see, like John, I wanted to know whehter Christ was the Son of God, the one who is to come. Then as Jesus replied in this passage, I almost felt like He was speaking directly to me. He said to me, look at all of the miracles I have done. I have made the blind receive sight and the lame can walk. I am the Son of God. Are you going to believe it?
Well I decided to believe Jesus and make this faith my own. If he can make the blind have their sight and the lepers be cleansed, He has to be the Son of God. He has to be God himself. This also means that he sadly had to take my position on the cross, but I thank him for that. Without him, my life would be nothing but a pathway to death. With him, I can choose to follow a pathway towards life. Christ has provided my a way to eternal life with the Father, my creator, in heaven.
I thank God for having me read this passage at the time I did. I always believed that Christ was my savior and I didn't honestly doubt it, but I needed to make sure it was my own faith. God pointed me directly to Matthew 11 and I now know that my faith in Christ is my own. God works in great but small ways and I am grateful for who He is (even if I will never in my entire life fully understand him).
July 13, 2010
The Best Run of My Life
Last night I went for a run with James. We started around 8:40 at night so it was getting dark out and it was raining. Although we both may have not wanted to run before we left, during our run we both realized it was going to be the best run of our lives. I started talking to James about Harvey Cedars. I told him about how on Friday Night we went to the sand dunes and sat in the sand behind the ocean and worshipped God. I told him that it almost felt like God was everything around us. The sand between my feet felt better than ever before, the waves were powerful yet calming, and the wind was hitting me in a way that was almost like God was the wind that was hitting me. As I was explaining this to James I slowly started to realize that I was getting a similar feeling during our run. I was like wow! This run has the exact same feeling. The rain was pouring down on us, and we were splashing through the puddles and I started to feel God with me. I know he is always with me but sometimes I forget to think about that and I don't feel it. During the run, I started to feel it. As we continued running, James started to feel the same thing. We were running down this really long and straight road that has no street lamps or anything to light it at all. James just went, "This is awesome. We keep stomping in the puddles, the rain is falling down on us, steam is coming off the mountain to our right and even though it is dark out, the sky is orange to our left." The nature around us gave us both this spiritual feeling and a sense that God was all around us. I'm not sure but I think it might have been one of the first times James experienced anything like that. We kept talking and talking and talking and before you knew it, our run was over. I felt great even though that was the first time I ran since being sick. I know this was just for a run but I'm starting to realize the importance of trusting God and realizing that he is around you all the time. When you do this you feel much better about life and even a simple thing like a summer run can feel spiritual and enjoyable.
June 16, 2010
Scrubbing Toilets and Mopping Floors
I just got a job as the Janitor at the Link Center. I didn't really think it was that important of a job at first. Who cares about the person who cleans the building. Janitors just have to clean the same thing over and over again. It's not that great of a job. I just wanted a paycheck. These were some of the thoughts that I had when I first got the job. I'm slowly starting to realize the importance of my job now. This building is a building where we are trying to connect the community with Christ. I think people would be pretty turned off if the building was disguisting and never cleaned. My attitude about my job has changed because of this thought. What I do can directly impact the kingdom of Chirst even if nobody really knows who cleans it up or if they don't really take notice to how clean the building actually is. My simple job is important because God made it important. I'm creating a clean environment where people can better see God's love. This being the case I should honor Christ with everything I do at the Link Center even if it is mopping floors and scrubbing toilets. Although I still look forward to the paycheck, that is no longer the goal for myself at the Link Center. The goal for my job is to create a clean building where people can meet Christ. Hopefully by giving my best at work the community can be directly impacted by Christ's love.
April 20, 2010
Bezalel
In the book of Exodus, there is a man named Bezalel. Most people don't really remember his name from the book. The most common names remembered are Moses, Aaron, and the pharaoh. Bezalel was my favorite person in Exodus however. Not much was said about him but the small amount that I learned about Bezalel really gave me respect for him.
Bezalel was a skilled craftsman. In Exodus 35, it even says that God gave Bezalel the skill of craftsmanship. What really intrigued me about Bezalel is that he took his God given talent and returned it to the Lord. Bezalel was one of the main craftsman involved in building the tabernacles and holy altars for the Israelites. Bezalel built everything the way God commanded him to. Bezalel used his skills the way God wanted him to and built something very sacred and holy. He recognized he was a good craftsman and used that for God. He didn't try to be more than a craftsman and he didn't try to be someone he wasn't. He just took his skills and used them the way God wanted him to.
I really like Bezalel because he used his God given talents to serve God the way he was commanded to and realized who he was as a servant to the Lord. That is a really incredible thing. Can you imagine if Christians today took the things they are talented at and used them for God? Can you imagine if we took our gifts from God and did with them exactly as He commands? Can you imagine if we all realized who we were as God's servants and served in the way we knew how to? So many amazing things would be accomplished in our world and it would be unreal.
As I keep growing in my faith, I want to develop an attitude like Bezalel. I want to find my God given talent and work hard to use it for the Lord. I'd encourage anyone who reads this as well to do the same. Realize that God gave you the skills you have and you should honor him with how you use them. Don't try to be someone you aren't but rather take the skills you have and respect that they were given to you by the Lord and should be used for the Lord. Take on the example of Bezalel and become a servant to what the Lord commands.
Bezalel was a skilled craftsman. In Exodus 35, it even says that God gave Bezalel the skill of craftsmanship. What really intrigued me about Bezalel is that he took his God given talent and returned it to the Lord. Bezalel was one of the main craftsman involved in building the tabernacles and holy altars for the Israelites. Bezalel built everything the way God commanded him to. Bezalel used his skills the way God wanted him to and built something very sacred and holy. He recognized he was a good craftsman and used that for God. He didn't try to be more than a craftsman and he didn't try to be someone he wasn't. He just took his skills and used them the way God wanted him to.
I really like Bezalel because he used his God given talents to serve God the way he was commanded to and realized who he was as a servant to the Lord. That is a really incredible thing. Can you imagine if Christians today took the things they are talented at and used them for God? Can you imagine if we took our gifts from God and did with them exactly as He commands? Can you imagine if we all realized who we were as God's servants and served in the way we knew how to? So many amazing things would be accomplished in our world and it would be unreal.
As I keep growing in my faith, I want to develop an attitude like Bezalel. I want to find my God given talent and work hard to use it for the Lord. I'd encourage anyone who reads this as well to do the same. Realize that God gave you the skills you have and you should honor him with how you use them. Don't try to be someone you aren't but rather take the skills you have and respect that they were given to you by the Lord and should be used for the Lord. Take on the example of Bezalel and become a servant to what the Lord commands.
April 14, 2010
Dear Devon,
I know we haven't spoken for years but I've been thinking about you a lot this week. I remember in 1st grade, I had just moved to here and you were in my class. At some point throughout the year I remember sitting down with you and trying to talk about Jesus. You just told me you believed in the devil. Then the bell rang and we never talked about it again. Throughout the rest of elementary school, teachers and kids kind of classified you as a "bad" kid (for as bad as a 4th grader could be). To tell you the truth, I kind of thought that about you too. This week though, I remembered something you did in 5th grade that has changed my perception about you as a "bad" kid. I remember we were in class and some girl did something wrong and was going to get in trouble for it. You stood up and took the blame for it. I don't know if you did it because you had a crush on the girl or because you just genuinely cared. Either way, I thought it was really cool. Not many kids at that age would willingly stand up and take the heat for something they didn't do. Now that I think about this story, I can see Jesus in the actions you took. You were a great friend and took the blame even though you didn't deserve it. Jesus did the same thing by giving his own life on the cross. He took the blame for something he didn't do. For you to take something you didn't deserve, just like Jesus did, is truly amazing. I now see you as a good kid with a characteristic that is like that of Jesus, not a kid who was always looked at as "bad."
I haven't seen you in years. It's a real shame because I was finally starting to get to know you as "you", not what everybody perceived you to be. In 5th grade we worked on the egg drop project together and I was a little intimidated to work with you at first. But then you came to my house and we worked on the project together and I got to know you better. I wasn't intimidated anymore. I had a genuinely fun time and I learned that you are an enjoyable kid to be around. You were different than I had thought you to be. You were a great and fun kid. Unfortunately, even though we weren't close friends, I lost contact with you. I haven't even seen you in years. I don't know where you are but I want you to know, that I someday hope to see you again. I hope to see you one day, still possessing the same God like characteristics that I saw back in 5th grade.
With Love,
Zach
I haven't seen you in years. It's a real shame because I was finally starting to get to know you as "you", not what everybody perceived you to be. In 5th grade we worked on the egg drop project together and I was a little intimidated to work with you at first. But then you came to my house and we worked on the project together and I got to know you better. I wasn't intimidated anymore. I had a genuinely fun time and I learned that you are an enjoyable kid to be around. You were different than I had thought you to be. You were a great and fun kid. Unfortunately, even though we weren't close friends, I lost contact with you. I haven't even seen you in years. I don't know where you are but I want you to know, that I someday hope to see you again. I hope to see you one day, still possessing the same God like characteristics that I saw back in 5th grade.
With Love,
Zach
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