May 2015 - Jacqueline G Wallace.com

All kinds of people run. People of all ages run. They run for all different reasons. I would think it is safe to say most people run because they enjoy it, or some aspect of the running experience. I am not a runner so I am speculating here, based on my observations and what I know of human nature. We get involved in things that we like to do or that are meaningful to us.

I was up early Saturday to be at the site of a 5K Race and 1 Mile Family Walk. You have to seriously like to run or walk to be at the venue that early! Or, in my case, serious about participating in something I believe in: the ministry of She Is Safe (www.SheIsSafe.org). They are reaching out to women and girls around the world to “prevent, rescue and restore” them from lives of slavery, oppression and abuse, in the context of lovingly telling and demonstrating the good news of Jesus Christ.

I was at the race as a member of the newly formed Bakersfield She Is Safe Advocacy Group which sponsored the race. I assisted on the sidelines as others walked and ran, their race fees providing funds for She Is Safe to expand their work to more women and girls in the hard places of the world, bringing hope and new life to them.

Just like I had a specific motivation to be at the race to assist, the runners each had their personal motivations for being there too. And on the strength of their inner drive they accomplished their goal: crossing that finish line. Some wanted to be first. Others simply wanted to finish.

They all met their goals of crossing the finish line on their own two feet (or in their strollers!) because they set their minds to do it. All the runners were applauded and many got trophies or awards for placing in various categories, but the feeling of “I did it!” had to be the best prize of all.

Though I am not a runner of foot races, I am a runner in the race of life. We all are. We each have a race marked out for us and it is our responsibility to set our minds to give it our all, our best. Like Paul, we should be “bringing all (our) energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, (we) strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us” [Philippians 3:13,14, TLB).[1]

“What Christ Jesus did for us” should be all the motivation we need to stick to the race course, regardless of how difficult the going may get at times. Keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, “who for the joy set before him endured the cross”[2] for us, should help us keep putting one foot in front of the other with hope burning in our hearts. He finished his race and sat down next to the Father in heaven. He won salvation for all mankind, for any and all who will put their trust in him.

May we keep our eyes on the prize God has for us at the end of our race, motivated by the supreme sacrifice of Jesus Christ. May we live “to win for the Lamb that was slain the reward of His suffering.”[3]

For fun viewing, here’s a video of the 5K and Family walk: http://youtu.be/OtyYT3DPYGI

Photos and Video by www.proshowweb.com

[2] Hebrews 12:2

[3] The battle cry of the Moravian Church’s missionary outreach, based on Isaiah 53:10-12. http://www.globaltribesoutreach.org/articlesmoravian

Originally posted on the Abide Prayer Group blog, a women’s ministry of The Bridge Bible Church of Bakersfield, CA.

They filtered in slowly, mostly one by one. Loners, carrying their backpacks or bags. There were a few who came with a friend, but most entered the room alone. A wave and smile or nod of greeting between some, for they know each other. They see each other every day. On the streets. Their home. The community of the homeless.

They eventually packed out the room, an estimated 140 in attendance. Mostly men, a few women. The church service comes first, with singing and a message, then the meal. We, eight of us from our home Bible study group and a couple of other groups from our church, were there to serve the food, clean up and otherwise help as assigned. The men’s ministry from our church did the cooking.

FLOOD* hosts these worship service/meal events, called Community Celebrations, for the homeless each Saturday and has done so for several years. They have been perfecting their system for these Community Celebrations and it runs quite well. Compassion mixed with wisdom.

Karri and her husband and kids, also from our church opened the service with singing. She, with her strong mezzo-soprano, is the lead vocalist; her young daughter sings harmony and husband, Adam, plays guitar and sings. Their older son manned the audio-visual system (what a talented family!).

The songs were familiar; we sing them in church frequently. But somehow, sitting in the back of the room, seeing all these men and women singing, some raising hands, others standing in worship when the rest of us are sitting, stirred my heart and I sang the old words with new awareness. Words of God’s love and forgiveness, of Jesus’ death and resurrection, of his power to make us new.

Broken, shattered, troubled lives in front of and around me, every person a different story. Stories wrapped in human flesh. For a few moments they find something real: the Presence of God. They sing songs of worship. More than for just a meal and a bag of groceries, though those are terribly important when you are hungry. I know there were brothers and sisters in Christ singing “the songs of Zion” with me in that room. And I thanked God, and prayed His blessings on them.

Then we served up their plates of food, serving Jesus in a strange disguise.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’” (Matthew 25:34-40, NIV).

* www.floodbako.com, a ministry to the homeless of Bakersfield, which grew out of another home Bible study group from our church.

Month: May 2015

Keep on Running the Race

Feeding Jesus