Reach For the Mark

Like many others I have been watching a lot of the Vancouver Winter Games in the past two weeks. As a Canadian I have cheered on the red and white to many Olympic medals, and watched as the athletes faced great adversity on and off the field to reach their goals.
One of those was Joannie Rochette, the women's figure skating medalist from Quebec. She and her family arrived for the games in Vancouver last weekend. Early Sunday morning her mother passed away in the hospital at age 55. Joannie, her family and most of Canada were in shock.
Joannie proceded to complete and her first performance was beautiful as she skated well and only began to cry at the very end. Her final performance was more of a struggle but Joannie gained the medal podium, receiving a bronze for her courageous skate.
I was chatting recently with an artist about how we face things in life that may keep us from reaching our goal of closer union with Jesus. These things may be really challenging and downright horrible to face, but the Lord has promised to be with us every step of the way. He will not stop at 'burning our barley fields' (read Kings for this story) and will do what it takes to bring health to our souls. Sometimes that means He will allow 'bad things' to happen to 'good people'.
It is said that what doesn't kill us makes us stronger, and the more we realize that in ourselves we can't face the really tough things in life, the more we lean on the strength of God in our weakness. He is our strength and He calls us to keep pressing on, to reach the mark of the higher calling, to gain the crown of life at the end of the race.
Like Joannie, I want to keep pressing on.

Comments? Write me at sgmradio.lorrainewalker@gmail.com
Photo courtesy www.cbc.ca
Caption: Joannie Rochette earned bronze, days after her mother passed away. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)