Long Way To Grow II

A man sitting in a movie theater noticed a bear sitting next to him. He asked, Aren't you a bear? The bear nods, so the man asked, So what are you doing at the movies? The bear answered, Well, I liked the book. (I think I would have asked, Have you ever mauled a man to death in a theater?)

Right question, wrong question . . . the right question is not, where did I finish? But the right question is, How will I determine success?

In the 17th Annual Spring Valley Presbyterian Bizarre Bazaar 5K last Saturday there were two groups of people. The ones who finished ahead of me (a bunch) were one group. The other group was the humiliated souls who finished behind me (a few). In front of me were the very young, the very old, women, etc. Let me set the record straight again though, no limping dogs or very old men with sticks finished in the group ahead. Behind me were people in every age group.

If I choose to focus on either group I have problems. The group of ahead . . . they are workout freaks who have wrong priorities. The group ahead can make me think I could never be like them so why try. The group behind makes me feel much better. Ah, the sweet taste of superiority. Nothing like it. Some behind me were athletic looking, younger, workout people, and I kicked their butt. Yeah! No need to fly any higher as long is someone is back there.

Don't want to sound like a humanist here. Man is not the measure of all things. God has certain Ten Commandment type standards that are the same for all of us, no matter what. See the truth is, there was no way to measure the heart Saturday in the Bizarre Bazaar 5K. No one knows how hard anyone was working out. No one knows the personal obstacles we each had to overcome to get there. No one has produced an accurate scale to measure personal giftedness.

So as Smokey Bear used to say, You and Only You (along with God Himself) know the level you should be performing. Don't be relieved or discourage by how you placed last Saturday. Only you and God knows what race is most important and whether you are in the right one. Only God can measure the heart (II Chronicles 16:9). He knows if you are underachieving or overachieving and where. So, my favorite, question . . . particularly for you . . . What is Your Next Step?

Spent most of the day yesterday in Spartanburg Cracker Barrel yesterday with movement makers Neal McGlohon, Larry Bateman, Kermit Morris, and the woman formerly know as Meredith Neal . . . now known as Poe. Awesome. Canada, Greer, and networks were just a few exciting things that God is doing. Don't deserve to be at that table, but, I am not going to excuse myself. We are all in the race and God knows where I was supposed to be there.

Off today with my sweetie. Birthday number . . . I think 48 but I haven't medicated yet this morning, comes for me I think tomorrow. I will check my drivers license and get back with you. Football, birthdays, and preaching at Willow this weekend. I will keep you posted.