A Grand Entrance

Somewhere around mile nine or ten of this morning's run, the old knee started to yell at me. I made it twelve miles. But coming up that last small hill, and hitting the final stretch that leads to my house, I hobbled like a character from an old Tim Conway skit.

And it got me thinking about how I want to cross the finish line of my life. Yes, as Christian I hope to enter heaven. And if all I can do is limp over the finish line, I'm good with that. But I want more. I want to cross the celestial timing mats with a kick.

Peter said it like this:

God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 2:11, NLT).

He is, perhaps, making an allusion to the kind of reception a returning Roman conqueror would enjoy. I can imagine Peter received such a welcome when he entered into glory. Yes, he died in apparent defeat - crucified upside down. But he was a conqueror.

I'm a mediocre runner at best. But I know enough to realize that those finishing kicks are the result of decisions I make in training: Do I sleep in, or log that long run? Do I lollygag, or accelerate up the next hill?
Those choices bear fruit at the finish line. 

There are other decisions I make today that I'll feel at the ultimate finish line. Do I sleep in, or spend time in the scriptures? Do I claim my "me time," or serve my brothers and sisters?  Those choices will bear fruit at the end. They will determine whether or not I finish strong.