I was just reading about a Belgian woman, Hilde Dosogne, who completed an amazing feat in her 2024 goals. Hilde is an ultra runner; she ran 366 marathons in 2024. Yes, she ran a marathon every day in 2024. Every. Day. A 55-year old with a family and a full-time job, running over 4 hours each and every day. She was going for a Guinness world record and is waiting for their official confirmation, just a formality for the amazing effort she achieved.
Of course it was physically demanding; she ran through injuries and illness many times. But, no surprise, she says the mental strain was the hardest, to show up at the start-line every day.
I couldn’t help but think how relatable this is with our faith each day, to show up at the start-line with our thoughts and our words and our praise and our prayers, facing God every morning in the day He made for us. Surprisingly, it’s not always easy. I say surprisingly because why would we not want to meet in person, one-on-one, the one and only God, THE Creator, the One who made US, who knew us before we were even here, who considered it worthy and beautiful and necessary for us to BE – here, now, no matter what OUR evaluation of that is? The God who loves and helps and is always present with us. The Good Father, Shepherd, Healer, Peace. Whose plans and thoughts toward us are only for good and hope. Whose will for our lives is pleasing and perfected already. Who loved us so very much that He gave the ultimate gift, the life and blood of His only Son Jesus, so that WE could have life with Him forever! But yet we often don’t choose to meet Him, for whatever reasons we tell ourselves. Imagine all the reasons Miss Ultra Runner heard each day trying to talk her out of facing that long, long run…
There are numerous places in holy scripture where He invites us to come to Him, to engage with Him, to listen, learn, soak, speak, receive, grow, confess, cry, sing, praise, glorify Him. Not because He is self-absorbed and egotistical, but because He knows WITH Him, near Him, is where our very best life is! That’s why He gave such a costly gift, why He made a way TO Him, through Christ. It really is the very best action we can do, to meet Him face-to-face, early and often; He’s always waiting to overflow our willing vessel with the fullness of Himself.
I remember a work job I once had. I was going through an employment agency recruiting candidates for this particular role. In the preparation process, I learned that this group had been burned recently by two others on the team who literally just stopped showing up for work; one of those was for the position I was applying to fill. They were still stinging from the sudden losses of the previous employees when it was my time to interview. At the end of my interview, I asked what they considered was an important quality or focus of the person they wanted to hire for this role, like how could I be most helpful to them. There was a long pause before the man said, “I don’t know… just show up!”. I laughed and said I definitely intended to do that, but you could hear the hint of hurt and betrayal behind what appeared to be an amusing comment. They truly did want and expect the person in this job to first, just show up!
That was the expectation of the man in Luke 14:15-24 who planned a great dinner party and invited many guests. The big day arrived and when everything was prepared, he sent his servant out to those who were invited saying, “It’s time! Everything’s ready; come eat!” But each and every one had ‘reasons’ why, sorry, they weren’t able to make it; they weighed their options and decided that something else was more important than showing up for the feast they’d been invited to.
We have a personal invitation from God Himself, the knower and lover of our heart and soul, to meet Him first each day. That He may see our face turned toward Him, our heart bowed before Him, our need and desire laid bare FOR Him. That we may hear Him and receive the gift of His presence wrapped tight around us. That we would empty self and allow His overflow to overflow. It might not always be easy, but He’s made it so worth it!
We just, first, have to show up; nothing else happens with us personally if we don’t. Not at work, not at school, not at church, not with our family. Not with our spiritual life. Hilde ultra runner could not have moved forward a foot if she hadn’t purposed to be at the starting line to begin.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
~Matthew 6:33
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image by fallon michael on unsplash