Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Stop, slow, fast

Was working out this morning on the 18th floor of the Galt House which overlooks the mighty Ohio river. Breathtaking view almost takes your mind off the pain...About half-way through my workout I saw the very front edge of a barge going upstream towards Cincinnati. It was moving painfully slow, but at the end of my workout the barge had made its way through downtown Louisville and downstream out of sight.
Got me to thinking: Here I was running on a treadmill going nowhere. The barge was moving slowly, but it was moving. And I am sure there will be a speed boat out sometime today on that same stretch of river. These are all metaphors for how God works in our life. There are times of preparation where we run in place and build up our stamina, endurance, and become readied to serve. There are other times when we move ahead ever so slowly, but progress is made. And we all know the feeling of being on a speeding boat of life with things rushing at us.
The common denominator is that God is in control and working in all three experieces. We sometimes think about God working only in the rushing times of our lives, but I believe that Scripture clearly tells us about waiting and persevering as God's will in our lives. The key for us is to identify what stage we are in and remain steadfast to God throughout. Don't rush out of a treadmill time in your life before God finishes with you. Don't swim too hard upstream during a slow moving time and miss the relationships God wants for you. Don't expect the times of speeding to last but enjoy them and get prepared for the next stage.

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AUTHOR: Todd Nelson TITLE: Stop, slow, fast DATE: 6/12/2007 01:37:00 PM ----- BODY:
Was working out this morning on the 18th floor of the Galt House which overlooks the mighty Ohio river. Breathtaking view almost takes your mind off the pain...About half-way through my workout I saw the very front edge of a barge going upstream towards Cincinnati. It was moving painfully slow, but at the end of my workout the barge had made its way through downtown Louisville and downstream out of sight.
Got me to thinking: Here I was running on a treadmill going nowhere. The barge was moving slowly, but it was moving. And I am sure there will be a speed boat out sometime today on that same stretch of river. These are all metaphors for how God works in our life. There are times of preparation where we run in place and build up our stamina, endurance, and become readied to serve. There are other times when we move ahead ever so slowly, but progress is made. And we all know the feeling of being on a speeding boat of life with things rushing at us.
The common denominator is that God is in control and working in all three experieces. We sometimes think about God working only in the rushing times of our lives, but I believe that Scripture clearly tells us about waiting and persevering as God's will in our lives. The key for us is to identify what stage we are in and remain steadfast to God throughout. Don't rush out of a treadmill time in your life before God finishes with you. Don't swim too hard upstream during a slow moving time and miss the relationships God wants for you. Don't expect the times of speeding to last but enjoy them and get prepared for the next stage.
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