Above all else

A friend of mine shared a video clip by Dr Billy Graham, and I was just bowled over.  The message was clearly and sincerely communicated, but I'd heard these truths before.  What really got me was the footage of Dr Graham in his younger days, clearly full of energy, and expending that energy to share the Good News, and Dr Graham now, clearly much older (he's 95) and still giving everything he's got so that just one more person will know God's love.  I'm sure he's made mistakes before (who lives to 95 without making mistakes?!) but this is a man who has decided I will pour out every drop of me for God, until there is no more.  It really made my eyes tear up.  And it brought to mind a whole bunch of running analogies that the apostle Paul used. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will

(1) Pre-op ankle marker; (2) just after waking up from the op; (3) fresh cast; (4) cast after one week; (5) transiting to ankle brace; (6) back to running! The Sovereign Lord is my strength He makes my feet like the feet of the deer He enables me to tread on the heights Habakkuk 3:19

Ever since my ankle got strong enough to run again, I try to squeeze in a run after I drop my kids off at school.  A couple of days ago, I felt a bit under the weather, but thought I would run off the weird feeling.  I mentioned it to my kids as I dropped them off, and my daughter told me not to be silly and go home to rest.  I thought this was sensible, so I took her advice and headed home.  By the time I got home, my head was really spinning and I just crashed into bed.  The bedroom was rocking like a sampan, and every little movement of my head felt like a pirouette!  I messaged my church friends to pray for me, and thankfully, the spinning slowed down after a couple of hours.  By the afternoon, I was still feeling ginger and somewhat light headed, but the worst had passed.  Thank you friends for praying, and thank you God for making me well! Whether it was vertigo, an ear infection or just plain exhaustion I don't know, but for a couple of melodramatic moments, I really