The gap between my two sons is a pretty big one. They are almost exactly 3 feet and 10 years apart. Observing them in the park the other day on our daily walk, I noticed the youngest doesn’t actually walk with us, he runs. Some of this is because he loves to get ahead of us and lead the way but mostly it is simply because he is running to just keep up. So of course it isn’t long before he is dragging behind, exhausted. He doesn’t want to give up. The mere suggestion makes him angry. But he simply isn’t yet capable of keeping our pace. So we slow our stride. We encourage him. We wait for him to catch his breath. We load him on our backs. Whatever it takes to get him back home. Day after day after day we do this.
Our walk with Christ is so often like this. We try with all our might to be who he says we can be but the gap between us is a pretty big one. Most days it feels like we are running to simply catch up. We spend a lot of time exhausted and frustrated. We don’t want to give up but this walk with him is harder than we ever imagined.
There is this wonderful line in Psalm 139 that goes like this, “I come to the end. I am still with you.” It reminds me of those moments when my youngest sits in the dirt refusing to move one more step. He has come to his end. But oh how quickly his tears dry when he looks up and his brother is sitting in the dirt next to him waiting for him to regain his strength.
“I come to the end. I am still with you.” Maybe you have found yourself in this place more times than you care to admit lately. I know I have. If so, hear the good news and be encouraged. Christ is still with you. He hasn’t left you behind. He walks with you day after day after day. He knows you and he knows what you need. He will slow his pace, encourage you, wait when you need to catch your breath, load you on his back, whatever it takes to get you home. Yes the gap is wide but his love is wider. May we trust Christ enough to let him lead the way. Let us pray.
Thank you Jesus for your steadfast love. Thank you for believing in us even when we don’t believe in ourselves. We pray especially today for all of those who have reached their end. May they discover your presence in a new and powerful way today. Give them and us strength for whatever lies ahead of us.
Amen.