For January 25th

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33

I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) I’m a natural born runner. It’s what I do. Run. What’s that? I think I heard the thigh-slapping laughter of my friends and family as I typed those words. When it comes to running, I would be the last person to enter the sane mind of any who know me. No. I do not possess a single athletic bone in this middle-aged body. Never have. Never will. My natural running “ability” has nothing to do with strength, endurance or the latest, greatest must-have running shoes. (Although, I hear a pair of great shoes can change the world.) Oh…don’t get me wrong…I have tried running. Once. Maybe twice. It was not pretty. As a matter of fact, anytime I have ever broken into so much as a fast walk, my kids wince grievously and plead, “Mom! Stop! Seriously!” My natural born running ability has everything to do with avoiding pain, conflict and trouble. When the going gets tough, my natural tendency is to run…far away, fast. I want to flee to a comfortable place. I don’t like the hard stuff. I’m thinking Jesus didn’t like the hard stuff, either. I’m learning that He endured the hard stuff, anyway. His disciples, on the other hand, didn’t always follow His example. Matthew tells us that as Jesus was being betrayed and arrested, “…all the disciples deserted him and fled.” (Hey, maybe I could have been a disciple!)Not only did Jesus not run away from the hard stuff, He gave thanks for it. He knew during The Last Supper the suffering He was about to endure. He gave thanks anyway. The more I learn about Jesus, the less I want to run. I want to be more like Him and less like me. I want to not only endure the hard stuff; I want to embrace it and give thanks for it, just as Jesus did. I want to hold dear the Words of Jesus when He said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) I want to “give thanks in all circumstances.” (I Thessalonians 5:18) I want to stop running.

Bonnie White