Team Hope
“God doesn’t miss anything. He knows perfectly well all the love you’ve shown him by helping needy Christians, and that you keep at it. And now I want each of you to extend that same intensity toward a full-bodied hope, and keep at it till the finish. Don’t drag your feet. Be like those who stay the course with committed faith and then get everything promised to them.” (Hebrews 6:10-12 MSG)
Idaho Public Television recently ran a program on Adventure Racing. They followed a four person team through sixty-three miles of biking, twenty-two miles on foot, nineteen miles of kayaking across a lake (complete with a storm and lightning), and a frigid swim across Button Hook Bay.
Not only do the competitors have to complete this grueling course, but also find a series of mandatory checkpoints and optional controls. Whew!
Team members encourage one another, talking, keeping tabs on each person’s progress – both mentally and physically. The race can’t be completed alone, and each member is needed.
Life’s challenges often stack up like an Adventure Race, and the trials seem daunting. I have friends who recently lost loved ones, some who struggle daily with pain and illness, and others who need help or a listening ear. The needs stretch far and wide.
We weren’t meant to travel these roads alone. No matter who you are, you have a purpose. We need you on the team, to love and be loved. Whether in person, through letters, e-mails, phone calls, messages, or in prayer – you are needed.
There is life to live and a race to run. Encourage one another, and keep the dialogue open both horizontally and vertically. Stay prayerfully alert. Have eyes, hands, feet, and ears ready at all times to give and receive Christ’s love.
My friend, you are on the team. The race may seem daunting at times, but you are never alone, never without hope, always loved, and forever safe on God’s Team.
