“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
Psalm 90:12
Recently, someone with whom I went to college was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. His blog has been receiving a lot of visitors. He even has a Facebook prayer group with over 1,000 members. It’s news like his that turns a cliche back into a reality: what would you do if you knew this was your last day alive?
For me, making the days count right now has been hard. I’m going back to school and have a year left in the program until I can be a teacher. It’s hard to make the days count while working retail and trying to be patient with the process.
Last week was my official start in training for the Chicago marathon. In less than 4 months, I will be running 26.2 miles for the fourth time! Making each training run count is hard to do too. In one sense, 4 months is a long time. In another, I’ve had this familiar panic that I won’t be able to run that far. (Even though logically I know I can; I’ve done it three other times!)
In high school, I read a book called Wind, Sand, and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. I don’t remember much of it, but I do remember a quote where the author talks about no matter what happens in life, the important thing is to take a step. It may be only one step, but it is a step. In running, in life, in patiently trusting God’s hand despite what circumstances say, I am taking one step at a time.
I don’t want to force an analogy, but I imagine the translation process or life on the missions field is like this. Some days, the end seems so far away. All that’s left is to take one step, to make this one step, this one day count by trusting that God is good and he can see the finish line, even when we cannot.
Please pray for our team members — the runners, the donors, and the translators. We all need patience and trust to obediently follow Christ one step at at time every day.
