Ahh...Encouragement. Hope. Relief is near..... Well, sort of. It is downhill for the next half mile. Then it's back up again, and then down, and then up again ... for the last 8 miles. At the end of the trail, Jason smiles and says, You did it! The standard reply is along the lines of Are you kidding me? You said it was all downhill. You had no idea what you were talking about.
Over the past 10 years, this scenario has replayed several times. On bike trails, on trail runs, on road rides and runs. It only takes one such adventure with Jason to learn the trick... always anticipate the difficulty to be greater than what he says it will be. I think his optimism comes from a heart that truly wants to be encouraging and wants to see people succeed. If only he can cheer them on with the best possible motivation, that the end is near, then they will see what sort of feats they can really accomplish. In actuality, it has become more of a joke because we've all learned that this isn't really the last uphill or hard push to come.
I've been thinking about how greatly this contrasts with my life with Jesus. He tells me that It is finished. The battle against evil was completed on the cross. When I turn from living life my way and decide to live it instead His way, then my worst days are behind me. Of course, this thinking requires a complete shift in my view of the world. Bad things will happen. Children will get sick and be hospitalized. Loved ones will disappoint and hurt me. God will call people home before me and I will grieve. And these are just a few things that have already happened. Worse things are yet to come.
But, the grace of God is that now, in the midst of all these things, nothing can separate me from His love. Life without Him, all the uphill battle that I had to fight because I refused to surrender and follow His way, that life is behind me. Grace. Grace. God's Grace. That's what's ahead of me. Our pastor preached on this last Sunday. I am doing so much better than I ever deserve. Apart from God's grace on my life through Jesus, I deserve nothing good, nothing. But with His grace, wow, now that's a whole different point of view. With Him, I know the end of the story. I know that no matter what happens, He has my back. He's watching out for my good and watching out how to grow me and change me and make me more like Him, all for His glory. Encouragement? Hope? Relief? Yes. Yes. Yes! When life is rough and the hills keep coming, this is what I'll cling to. This is what will push me to drive harder and not give way to self-pity or self-reliance, but instead to trust that I really do have the worst behind me...life on my own without Jesus.
Thank you, my awesome Jason, for loving me enough to encourage me to do difficult things that I know I will appreciate in the end. And for being there to hold my hand and my heart when life gets rough. You are a true inspiration, despite my laughter at your encouragement on the trails.
