in the cloud

Today, I got to be in the cloud of witnesses as my youngest daughter ran her first organized running event, The Smile Mile.

What a treat.

She had a serious case of the jitters but by race time, she'd accepted the jitters as part of the whole deal.

We walked and jogged together in the minutes leading up to the race and she listened closely to what I said. She settled on a goal - to finish the mile. While she could have shut me out - "Dad, shut up - I'm too nervous to talk" - instead, she listened and asked questions and treated me like her forerunner. Treating me that way gave me a little window into how Jesus might feel when we realize we need Him and listen for His counsel.

When the race began, I got a second window into how He may feel when we listen and act on His word. Just as she and I had discussed, she started the race at her race pace - an easy lope (click 'play' button below).

The rest of the girls dashed out in front. Some of them would only be "heels and elbows" to my daughter's eyes. But others soon had to stop and catch their breath - she found herself passing a few of them.

In the end, she crossed the finish line at 12 minutes, 4 seconds. A respectable time, even for an adult. And she received the medal that awaited her in the chute.

I got to step from the cloud of witnesses that saw her finish, give her a hug and tell her how proud I was - that she'd "kept her eyes on the prize" (see below).

And perhaps one day, she will remember the Smile Mile as a window into how it may feel to finish the race of life and hear, "Well done, good and faithful one."