It is no secret, my love for God.  This humble sinner who sometimes can’t conceive his love for her, his forgiveness, or his promises, despite her stumbles repeated daily. With a love as precious as this, how can one ever deny HIM? God says in Matthew 10:33 ‘But whoever denies ME before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.’

I am no stranger to prayer in public places, restaurants, school, work, backstage, etc., none being done for attention nor praise from on lookers, but because God does not just belong in a prayer closest or confined to the walls of the church.  Josh and I have had people approach us after blessing our meals publicly several times, neither of us knowing how to respond. It’s always an awkward moment.  Yet that does not nor will ever stop us from doing so. God is a part of our daily life. He is in every decision made, blessing bestowed, trial and transgression endured.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending my first dirt bike race.  It was Josh’s first race back after taking several years off here in AR. I prayed for him like I always do before he gets on his bike, whether it be just practice on the weekend or on his road bike at home conditioning… but yesterday it was a more specific prayer  with the hot temperatures being in the 100’s and a bright cloudless sky.  It was a scorture for the spectators; I can’t imagine how hot it was for the racers in full riding gear. I prayed before the practice lap to myself, as I know he always prays himself on the starting line. 

Yesterday as he was taking his pro start, getting his bike in place and finding a spot on the line, he walked over and asked me to pray with him, so we did.  We knelt down right in the front before all at the starting line of the race. (I felt a little funny and then my spirit whispered Matthew 10:33 to me and I was at ease)  I felt honored, as I thought he would do this alone. Honored that I got to be beside him holding his hand and listening to him talk so intimately to GOD.  Thanking him for his blessings, praising him, asking him to protect himself as well as the other riders. Several scriptures popped into my head as he was praying.   His humbleness brought 2 Corinthians 3:5 to mind ‘It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.’

Luke 19:26 ‘To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given.’ To hear him give accountability for his talent to God and praise his name and hear the words ‘Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior’ was such a beautiful thing.  When we got up several people were looking at us, I was just about to let the enemy distract me with an uncomfortable feeling, when my spirit again whispered Hebrews 12:1-2 ‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

It was a beautiful moment that I will forever cherish, as the flag was lowered and he took off, I prayed again thanking God for blessing me with a man after HIS own heart. Who is accountable to HIM first before all men, with all praise and humility.  A witness not just through words, but by action, thankful that he was MY teammate to run this RACE we call LIFE!

Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Hebrews 12:1