I've been walking on a treadmill for exercise several years now. I have a favourite pair of walking shoes worn for most of those years. They're lightweight in design, extremely comfortable, and ideal for walking.
About a year ago I noticed a hole in my left shoe. The fabric was giving way where my big toe exerts pressure. I've thought to myself, as long my toe's not poking through, I'm good to keep using them.
About two months ago I noticed my right shoe started to catch on the treadmill belt. Upon further inspection I discovered the sole was separating from the shoe. The flapping action was likely what was tripping me up on the treadmill.
You'd think this telling and impactful evidence would convince me it was time to replace my shoes with a new pair. Right? Wrong.
It's amazing how hard it has been to give up something old and comfortable. I must admit I even found myself rationalizing why it was a better idea to continue to wear them with excuses like: a new pair will cause blisters and the discomfort of a new pair is just not worth the bother. Besides, it takes a long time to break in a pair.
Making changes in life can feel similar. Clinging to the old and not wanting to embrace the new is not an unfamiliar posture to most. Being afraid of the "season of discomfort and pain" can unexpectedly blindside and trip us up with the comfortable and favourite things we cling to so unyieldingly.
What is it that's so hard to left go of? For me lately it's been my old shoes. The Lord has been using the metaphor to create space to probe and dig a little deeper. What other "comfortable thing" is tripping you up or slowing you down? Hebrews 12:1b reminds us that if we don't want to be tripped up or slowed down by things that hinder the race we're in we must be willing to lay aside those weighty things.
We are also realizing the comfortable yet weighty things aren't always objects like a sole challenged shoe. They can also be circumstances, distractions, anything holding us back, hindering us, or it may even be sin.
We encourage you to lay aside whatever it is that's tripping you up. Our prayer for you this week is that you will experience a kind of unhindered race free from being tripped up in any area of life. Also that the race God has set before you will be run with endurance.
Our race, for the next week, has us running in many different directions. Would you pray for each ministry opportunity and the endurance we're going to need in the race He's set before us?
Kathy's race endurance opportunities this coming week include:
...taking nine others with her to the Lahu Youth Hostel where the group will minister to the kids for a couple days. They will be leading some art activities, practice English with the kids, and play some games as the group loves on the children. They leave Friday and return Sunday.
...CBSI activities on Monday morning, Wednesday evening, and Thursday morning.
...a ministry of hospitality continuing to host three young guests from the UK who arrived last week and a dear friend who is a Thai national pastor's wife and their two children arriving this coming week all staying with her.
Don's race endurance opportunities this week:
...traveling to Cambodia on Saturday leading meetings next week with national leaders. He returns on Wednesday.
...a debrief with a fellow M on Thursday as the couple transitions from many years of ministry back to the states and into the unknown.
...travels on Friday with Kathy and Chan, a FM international missionary from Canada, to the border in Thailand and Myanmar, meeting up with PaKep, the superintendent of the FMC in Myanmar and a Myanmar National Pastor who is praying about starting a church plant in N. Thailand. Together the international missionary and Myanmar leaders will consider and pray about joining together in an effort to start a new work in the area.
...on Saturday Don and Kathy leave for Bangkok so Don can have a sleep study at a hospital to eliminate any concerns about sleep causing any issues with his heart. They also get to see Katelyn, Taylor, and Everett before heading to the hospital.
...on Sunday Don leaves for a very quick trip to the states for a Grace International Educational Foundation (5013c) board meeting in Florida returning a week later.
Thank-you for praying. If you want to share with us your endurance race opportunities we'd love to be praying with and for you. Please write either Kathy (kathykwms@gmail.com) or me (donewms@gmail.com) and we'll be sure to pray for you.
In "The Race",
Don and Kathy
Your Ms to Asia
Hebrews 12:1b "...let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us."
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