"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right had of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls." Hebrews 12:1-3


I watched the very end of the Master's Golf Tournament yesterday. It wasn't that I care for golf; in the world's most boring sports, it falls second in line behind curling (see blog 2/17/2010).

The fascination for me with this tourney was the end, only the very end. Phil Mickelson had come from behind to win again. After a rather disappointing start, he played steadily and whole-heartedly through to the end, even pulling off what some called a "miracle shot" on the 13th hole. Mickelson was surrounded by cheering fans, reporters, and tournament staff all wanting to congratulate him. Mickelson, however, was looking for one face, one smile among all the rest: his wife, Amy, who was waiting at the end. Having been diagnosed with breast cancer eleven months before, Amy was weakened and unable to walk the entire Master's course with her husband. But she was there at the end, smiling through her tears, to share the joy and the victory with him, and that meant everything to him. More important to him than the win, the money, or that (ugly) green coat, was the hug he got from her. He told reporters, "It's something we'll share for the rest of our lives."

At any given point in our lives, the struggle of it all can bring us literally to our knees. We begin to wonder if there is any reason to keep going, any good to come from the fight, any hope left at all. Sickness, financial stress, family issues, trouble on the job...things we sometimes gloss over as "every day" worries...have the power to overwhelm us, to drag us down and keep us down. God knows that. He sent us an advocate, who, at one time, was tired, angry, broken-hearted, even hungry, thirsty, and homeless. He experienced all the cares of this life that He sees us facing now. And He showed us that our faithfulness, our endurance, and our reliance on Him will bring us to the victory.

Some day, I want to be able to stand in His presence, and say with Paul, "I fought the good fight, I finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness..." 2 Tim 4:7-8. I want to run patiently, fight righteously, hope unfailingly, trust completely, and love unconditionally. That will bring me to the end, to that One smiling face and the eternal prize.

And my coat will be white.