Running

The other day I was running with my 5 year old daughter.  We were running on our gravel road just having fun.  My foot caught her foot and down I went.  I was running fast enough that I went down and slid for a bit.  You can imagine that sliding on a gravel road can tear up the skin a bit.  My hands and knees really hurt.  Thankfully she did not fall too.  As I have reflected on the fall and the pain that has followed and the healing that is occurring I am reminded of a passage of scripture.  In Philippians 3:14 we read that the apostle Paul presses on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called him.  How many runners reaching for a goal have fallen?  It hurts but they get up and continue on to reach the finish line.  When you are taking action and working toward a goal falls are inevitable.  As we work out our love for God we will fall on occasion.  This life is not perfect and sin produces times that we must get up, dust ourselves off, refocus and set our sights back on our Lord and keep on pressing toward the prize which God has promised in Christ.  Do you feel like you have fallen lately?  Does it hurt to get up and keep going?  Just as a physical scrape or accident takes time to heal and it hurts for a while as the healing process continues then when we fall spiritually whether is be a "little" sin or a "big" one the pain and knowledge of our sin will hurt.  We must understand that God provides healing and will help us and lead us on toward the prize.  Some falls require the assistance of crutches or casts or just bandages to aid in the healing.  God is there for us if we will only accept his healing power.  Let us do as the apostle said in Philippians 3:13 by forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.  Our Lord promised to prepare a home for us and to be with us.  Come back to center with me and focus on our Lord today.