My friend watched her young daughter sprint gracefully across the finish line with surprising energy and speed after running a distance of over one kilometer. The girl’s cheeks glowed as she received her participation medal—she had completed her first race!
Her daughter slurped the juice and welcomed the snacks with open palms. She held it all up to her mom, hooking the ribbon of her medal with her pinky finger to include this prize in the photo.
“This is the best part!” the five-year-old laughed.
My friend’s face mirrored her daughter’s pride. All the practice runs had been done in the cool of the evening after dinner. But the race had occurred in the hot sun of early afternoon. Yet the girl had persevered, and Mom was happily amazed by the lack of complaints about the heat or length of the course.
She snapped more photos while looking forward to an easy bedtime routine with a tired “little pumpkin.”
Back at home, she proudly shared photos of the runner with friends and family through social media. Meanwhile, her daughter bounced from one thing to the next, like an evening with no long run.
Impressive, she thought.
Her phone dinged to notify her of incoming photos. Another mom had taken some action shots during the race. My friend’s mouth dropped open. There was her little girl captured in living color, riding piggyback on her older friend’s back, waving at the camera!
“That little cheater!” she laughed, shaking her head, “I did teach her to be resourceful!”
The Christian race is not meant to be run alone, either. Whenever we can use a supportive lift or a strong hand clasp, we should take it.
Hebrews 10:24-25 says:
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
How can we stir each other up to love and good works? How can we encourage each other?
Are you an encourager? Do you meet with other believers, whether virtually or in person?
I challenge you to take a moment to call someone or send an encouraging message to a fellow Christ-follower. Their race might be challenging right now as they run it alone. Maybe you could bolster them up and make their day sunnier and their travels less taxing.
Father, use me to support my brothers and sisters in their walk with You. Help me to humbly take another’s hand when they extend it to support me! As we serve You in unity, we demonstrate the effectiveness of good teamwork! Amen.
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Val's Stage 
Beautiful! We need to encourage one another and much more as we see the End Time approaching….. you are doing a gre
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