And down the stretch they come...

With news this morning that CALIFORNIA CHROME will be allowed to wear a nasal strip at Belmont and thus make an attempt for the coveted Triple Crown, I decided to blog in the spirit of the season. Today I will attempt to describe the pressures that vie for our time and illustrate them by narrating our daily race. It’s a far cry from the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, or the Belmont Stakes, but I think it might just sound something like this…

"And they’re off… LATE FOR WORK is out of the gates first with CATCH THE BUS and REMEMBER TO SMILE quickly there to challenge this early pace… Around the clubhouse turn and it’s still LATE FOR WORK out front but DAILY GRIND is steadily moving up to lead the trailing pack… Pushing down the backstretch, it’s DAILY GRIND now neck and neck with INTENTIONAL LIVING who has “the look of eagles.” INTENTIONAL LIVING appears to be moving for inside position but after an hour of emails and an unexpected lunch meeting, INTENTIONAL LIVING is slowly losing steam. DAILY GRIND is still the frontrunner with 3 furlongs to go… Now charging up on the outside is FORGOT ABOUT PRACTICE and WHAT'S FOR DINNER. FAMILY DEVO has now completely dropped out of the picture and ATLEAST I TRIED is holding on to the dream of finishing in the money. At the quarter pole it is still a close one but out of nowhere TIRED & FRUSTRATED, jockeyed by Poor Self-Discipline and owned by Trouble Saying No, is now blazing toward the front. INTENTIONAL LIVING has "spit the bit" and been passed by NOBODY’S HAPPY… Now at the quarter pole and it’s still very much up in the air. Not sure how it will finish, but certainly not the way anyone expected at post… And down the stretch they come!! It’s TIRED & FRUSTRATED!! It’s DAILY GRIND!! NOBODY’S HAPPY is coming on strong!! It’s TIRED & FRUSTRATED, DAILY GRIND… And it’s NOBODY’S HAPPY at the wire!!! Holding off MOW THE LAWN for fourth is the "maiden" reminder DO IT AGAIN MANANA…"

Goofy guy is my step-dad John

I wish the across the board favorite was MAKING MUCH OF CHRIST. In light of the Gospel, it should be! Honestly, it would also be nice to see SPONTANEOUS FUN or ROMANTIC GETAWAY compete more often than they do. However, the reality is that like most people, we struggle with finding time to do all that we’ve signed-up for. I mean, we make it to most of our appointments, but not with the energy and attitude we had hoped to bring. We bite off more than we can chew and because of fatigue and lack of focus, we fail to follow through on our good intentions. I know I’ve addressed this topic before, yet I am learning that it is an area that must often be revisited. My hope is that we all might be reminded of the importance of finding rest and purpose in Him. Perhaps our moments of weariness will lead us back to running things by Him again. Maybe we can involve God in all our decisions – not just the “big” ones.

Colin

Here’s the deal… It is too late to be scratched from the contest. We are invested, enlisted, and the race is on. Because this chaotic race is a daily battle, we win some and we lose some. Certain days we rightly prioritize from wire to wire; we engage our family and co-workers with grace and truth. But then there are the other occasions where we never even make it out of the gates. During those times (the days we get skunked), it seems we often forget about what is really at stake.

This time of year means weddings and graduations. Just this weekend alone, we celebrated Senior Sunday at our church, watched my brother’s graduation, and attended the wedding of a young couple that grew up in our youth group. One day, however, it will not be for the commencement of a brother, but for a son. The wedding will not be for one of our former students but for one of our own children. Saturday we took some silly photos with the kids in my brother’s cap and gown. Although it was a relief to see that they are a few years away from filling it out, the slide show from the same ceremony reminded me that I used to think the same thing about Colin. Time flies and there will always be enough to do. How can we seek the Lord for strength to make the most of it? As we run this race, may we remember the prize we pursue and may we help point others to Him as well.

matt@nbchurch.info     Twitter: @FattMowler     Facebook: TheFattMowler