LIFE: It's How We Finish That Makes A Difference!

"… his wife … looked back; and she became a pillar of salt"

Genesis 19:26

"We have finished our years like a sigh."

Psalm 90:9

"Remember … your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, 'I have no delight in them.'”

Ecclesiastes 12:1-8

"For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

Philippians 1:21

Auto racing is well known all over. In fact it is one of the most successful sporting endeavors in the world, with attendance statistics that are the envy of many sports entrepreneurs.

Professional racing teams spend a lot of time perfecting their skills: terrifying turns, speeds that would paralyze an ordinary driver, and terrible crashes are every day occurrences at the track.

The last ten miles, I am told, are the best – especially in a long race – just lasting to cover those final ten miles is something unique. Drivers say the strain of all that preceded those last ten miles is worth the rush of adrenaline and the excitement.

[Provided by subscriber Merilyn Derkson, Chaplain of Broadway Pentecostal Lodge, Vancouver, BC; edited for publication]

Life should be like an auto race; we should get pleasure out of the race, but the last few miles should be our greatest joy.

A friend says she wants to take a Caribbean cruise … NOW! She doesn’t want to wait until she has to be pushed up the ramp in a wheelchair! What a pessimistic attitude. Those seasoned years should be looked forward to.

The wagon trains which came West, to settle this continent, had joyful people looking forward toward new hills, new experiences, and the thrill of opening up a new land; they also had mournful people looking backward at what was left behind.

Are we like the latter, sadly looking out the rear window of life – saying, “If only … ! If only …!”? Or are we on the bench seat, holding the reins, looking in awe at what life has yet to bring our way?

Christianity, Illustrations, Religion