Running the race...

I had the opportunity to work as a volunteer for the White Rock Marathon in Dallas this morning. When we arrived at our "Water Station," they had hung a banner with one of my favorite scripture verses on it:

"Run with perserverance the race marked out for you." -Hebrews 12:1

Actually, the poster only included a partial quote of a short passage that I'd like to talk about, so I'll quote the entire thing here:

"Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perserverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." -Hebrews 12:1-3

During the sermon in church today, this passage kept rolling around in my mind, and I started thinking about something I heard said on Saturday about transformation...when we talk about our lives being transformed for the better, it seems to me that we need to be clear about the distinction between what our head knows, and what our heart believes. The one is informative, the latter, transformative.... But what is the process of transformation? What does it look like and how does it happen to me?

The longer I pondered the questions, the more I found myself drawn back to the passage from Hebrews. Where do I have my sights focused, and what difference could that make, or does that make? In our spiritual life, we think in terms of "fixing our eyes" on the life to come...very much in keeping with the anticipation of Advent. The writer to the Hebrews said that Jesus ran the race, and endured the hardships...for the joy that was set before him. We need something to look forward to!

There is, I believe, a way to look for Jesus to come into our lives on a daily basis...so that we live every day as Advent...the anticipation of his coming. Even more than this, I cannot get my mind off the question of where my eyes are focused. In our physical experience, we know that where we look determines where we go. Whether you're walking, running, biking, or driving, you will inevitably move in the direction where your eyes are focused...if you look right, you will pull right...left, and likewise, you will move to your left...

In the same way, your spiritual life will pull in the direction of your focus...where you look determines where you will go. It's not for me to say which direction any of you should go, or not go...but I'd like to share one last thing for your consideration...an idea that I read on a friend's blog last week, and that has made an impression on my daily thoughts and decisions

during the past few days:

If repeated 365 days in a row, will the decisions I make today take me where I want to go?

Decisions...little ones, big ones...all of them...and, our focus of attention...left, right or center...both are taking us somewhere...in a specific direction.

We have an incredible opportunity...each of us individually, to spend the next three weeks evaluating the current direction of our focus. We can also give thought to the seemingly small and insignificant choices that we are making on a daily basis...and we can evaluate both in the light of a brand new year. 365 freshly minted days will soon become available to us...days onto which we can fashion the life that we want to live in 2011. I leave to you then, the question: which direction do you want to go?

If repeated 365 days in a row, will the decisions I make today take me where I want to go?