"Are We There, Yet?"

The NYC Marathon starts on the Staten Island Bridge and ends in Central Park after leading runners through every borough in the city. The first time through the course, upon turning into Central Park and seeing trees and grass, I remember thinking, "Almost there." At that point, my feet had been jogging for five hours. The truth: I was still an hour from finishing (six miles). Yet, around every turn or over every small hill, my weary self was looking for the finish line. The thought of crossing the finish line, kept me moving forward.

Without that clear picture in my head, my tired, battered feet might have given up.

In our multi-tasking, multi-layered work lives...we are usually headed toward several finish lines at a time. This week, let's ask God to show us His finish line for us and to give us a clear(er) picture of its place in His story of our lives... and keep our weary selves looking for the finish line.

 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.     1 Corinthians 9:24  NIV

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.     Acts 20:24 NIV

A New Look At A Familiar Story...

A few years back, I took a different look at the final events of Holy Week and it really changed my view of the story. This year, thought it might be cool to back up to the Triumphal Entry and move forward to the betrayal of Christ.

So, I grabbed a sketch pad, my Easter colored pen, and began my handwritten, four column parallel look.

Here are the parallel Hosannas, as recorded in three of the four Gospels, and some reflections.

Matthew 21:9

The crowds that went ahead of of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" Hosanna in the highest!"

Look back to Matthew chapter one and get some insight into this first Hosanna- to the Son of David.

Mark 11:9

Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" "Hosanna in the highest!"

Read the closing words of Mark in chapter 16, verse 20. You have to love how it says; "...while the Lord kept working with them..." after He had been taken up! Mark seems to have an eternal, future view of the coming kingdom.

Luke 19:37

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices, for all the miracles they had seen: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in Heaven and glory in the highest!"

We sing this one often. See Luke 2:13.

Luke brings the joy of Christmas to the opening curtain of history's greatest drama and the defining moment of all history...for God's glory!

Taking In The Journey

One of the things I enjoyed the most about all the years of running in preparation for those marathons was the places I saw from my running shoes. In the neighborhoods of Orlando, but also the places I traveled for business. The flights of geese in Minneapolis. The horse district north of Los Angeles with peacocks roaming the streets and perched on the roofs. The majesty of Yosemite. Lakeshore drive around Tampa Bay. The sunrises along the Atlantic coastline at New Smyrna Beach. And countless others on the way to NYC.

Each run had a small part in the accomplishment of the greater goal. Each one had it's own ambiance, temperature, weather, sights, sounds, and smells. Some days those runs were welcome starts to the day. Other times, they were agonizing chores. Yet, each played a part.

Isn't that how our lives and our work unfold? Sometimes graceful blendings of component parts and sometimes not-so-graceful blendings. And yet, when we look back, we can see their part.

As Leaders, we are expected to know and be clear about the goal-where our teams are headed. And, we are to shepherd, focus and re-focus them through the milestones necessary to achieve that goal. Some of which are the routines and disciplines required to get there and some of which are moments "that worked well".

Leaders know that the process is as valuable as the progress a team is making. Taking in those moments along the way and celebrating what we learn, encourages teams to keep moving forward.

This week, let's take in life through the wider screen, put on the 3-D glasses and buckle up. The journeys of this life and it's daily, seemingly mundane pieces are filled with experiences for us to take in along the way. And those vistas turn this life into one great adventure...for God's glory.

Corinthians 10:31

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.