Prayer Warrior Ministries - I have spent the past week asking the Lord what He wants me to write about now. Seems that when I think I have shared all that I know or have learned, He shows me something new, in a new way.

For the ones of you who know me, you know that my son is in prison, and that I try to go visit him once a month.
This past weekend was spent visiting him. He is 300 miles away from home, so obviously, we don't know anyone in that town.

After visiting my son on Saturday, my husband and I decided to go out and have supper, and then try to find something to do in a town that has a population of maybe 3,000 people.

Leaving the restaurant, we heard engines, loud engines, as in race car engines.
We looked at each other, and right then and there, decided, this was what we were going to do, we were going to go to the races!

Little did I know that I was going to be shown a valuable lesson in the most simplest of fashions at this race.

The stands were packed with people for this stock car race, as it was opening night. Finding seats, we sat down, and the races were on!

We watched as the cars went round and round the circle track, and after several races, I started noticing this one particular car. Number 46 was spray painted in orange on its beat-up door, and the owner had at some time mounted bull horns on the roof of this jalopy. At first, this car was humorous to watch, as it was the slowest car on the track, and was lapped during several races it was entered in.

After watching the driver in several races, I slowly started getting real interested in his fate.

I noticed during one race that the bumper was torn halfway off. The officials noticed too, and black flagged #46 to the pit. I thought surely that was the last I would see of it, but shortly thereafter, he returned, bumperless.
The hood on this poor car was wired shut to keep it from coming open, but this young man was determined to be in that race, knowing that he didn't stand a chance of winning.

Round and round he went, slower than any other car out there, but, still,there he was, racing. I could see the face of the young man driving the car, and what I saw was pure ectasy. This young man was not out there to win, but to be part of the race.

Limping his car two laps behind the rest, he got the checkered flag! He had finished the race!

I started seeing this race a little differently than I had before.
I started seeing us, children of God, in our own race.
Some of us have our bumpers torn off, while other of us are in the lead.

So many times, we want to just give up, throw in the towel, or head into the pit. We think there is no way we can win this race, so we might as well just quit.

Life is tough, there is no doubt about that, and sometimes we have to pull in, and wire our hood shut. But, we have to get back in that race!
We think it is too hard, that we can't make it, but we can!

As I sat in the stands, I started shouting for Number 46 to win, not even knowing the young man driving the car. I could picture our Father shouting for us to win, to finish the race. I can see Him shouting our names, "Come on, you can do it! You are almost there, do you see the checkered flag?!"

Sometimes we get slowed up by circumstances in our lives, things catch us unawares, and can cause us to want to quit. I want to encourage you to step on that gas pedal, and give it all its got, because you can do this!
Jesus said that He would be with you wherever you are, He will stick beside you closer than a brother. He said to take heart, for He has overcome the world!

Leaving the racetrack that night, I started thanking the Lord for opening my eyes. The next day when we visited my son again, I was more determined than ever to finish this race, to stand tall during it, and know that I don't have to come in first place, I only have to come in.

Sometimes we just need a little reminder that it doesn't matter if we are first, somewhere in the middle, or coming in two laps behind, as long as we stay in the race, we will finish!

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