Schuetz

In the movie "Forest Gump" we see Forest succeed in just about every aspect of his life. What we admire most about him is his ability to overcome physical obstacles all throughout his life. But what we didn't see is Forest had much more going for him than just being naive and gutsy. We first see this in a scene where he is a child with braces on his legs. His best friend Jennie and him are walking home one day and some boys are picking on Forest and throwing rocks at him. Jennie yells out, "RUN FOREST RUN", so what did Forest do? He ran, and ran and ran. He ran so much and so hard that his braces broke from his legs and he never had to wear them again.

A real close friend said to me recently, "Drawing closer to God and having a relationship with him is like running a race. You focus on the cross and you run, run and run. And on occasion you look to your side and see who is running along side you. It may be a friend, it may be a family member, or an accountability partner, or your spouse, girlfriend. But if you notice competitive runners they don't look back and wait for their competitors to be along side them. They stay focused on the course ahead. In the end, Forest Gump lived every experience with Jennie right by his side. While she wasn't there physically all the time, she was there in spirit; loving, inspiring, and encouraging him to run his race that only he could run.

So it is with God, the bible says in Hebrews 12:1, "Therefore since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. (NLT)

Yes, we want our loved ones to come along and yes if we are single we want a mate, yet the funny thing is this. When we take the attitude God wants us to take and focus on the cross, you may be surprised one day just like forest was when he looked to his side and saw all his hippie friends running along side him across country, that someone that God wants in your life will be right there with you running the race.

Run a race this week! Focus on the fact that Jesus gave his life for us on the cross. Crank up the intensity, sign up for a building U course, take an ABF class, and invite someone to your house for fellowship.

Whatever it takes, RUN, RUN, AND RUN TO THE CROSS THIS WEEK.