FINISH STRONG

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having DONE ALL, to stand.- Ephesians 6:13

One of the most memorable times in high school was when i was on the swim team.

I recall the early morning practices when I had to be in the pool at 5 a.m. ready to embrace a 2 hour hard core practice, and then be expected to endure the rest of the school day with all of its classes and lectures and then face yet another 2 hour swim practice afterwards.

I remember driving to practice in the morning while in complete silence. If I just close my eyes for a second, a deep sleep was so easy to enter into. Cold and dark, with a light snow fall, I began to think thoughts of just quitting the team so I can go back to my warm cozy bed. However the soreness of my body from previous practices and the crazy thought "let's just make one more practice" would float around faintly through my mind, keeping me from turning around on the lonely quit road.

Again I arrive to the school and make my way to a nearly dim locker room. I changed into my suit and sat on the bench in front of my locker, looking down at the goggles in my hands and recapping memories from a few years prior of many tough practices. "Now here we are again" I would quietly think to myself, not knowing what type of workout I would have to face that morning.

Once I got up and went through the locker room doors into the natatorium, my fate would await me. As soon as I open the doors, I am greeted with an immediate, bone chilling breeze! I see my coach and my almost awakened teammates at the other end of the pool, stretching and gearing up. Not only do I see them, but I also see behind them a couple of wide double doors opened and just inviting in the cold winter tundra! It was pitch black and still snowing, and causing every ounce of warmth to leave the pool that I am supposedly about to plunge myself into.

Walking on the cold cement in my bare feet I make it towards my fellow team mates. Thoughts still lingering, "Why am I here? I could just tell the coach I quit and enjoy the rest of the season off. Justin, why are you even changed into your gear? What's a matter with you man? You aren't going to pursue this after high school, so why waist time?"

Sure enough I approach my coach, all to mumble the words "good morning" and then I take a step onto the diving block. I stand and look at the steam leaving the pool, and with every ounce of strength I take a leap!

Mid air for a split second, the thought comes, "You done it now! You can't turn back!"

Boom!!! My body is engulfed in the frigid water! From hearing the voices of my teammates to now hearing complete silence under the water, my heart beat begins catching up to my nerve senses of the cold water touching my skin. I pull up from the dive along with all those who dove in and off we go kicking and swimming into another 2 hour routine!

Looking back at that season in my life I learn an important lesson I carry with me this day. No matter how you begin the season or even the practice, what determines your success is if you embrace it and finish strong.

When competition came and it was my turn to race, I would begin as powerfully as I could and struggle to maintain that power until the end. But as my coach would tell us... FINISH STRONG, I had to finish strong!

This is an important principle even in your walk with the Lord. No matter how things may go, you got to FINISH STRONG!

You may have felt at your conversion that everything was just peaches and roses and now you are in some gray areas just plowing along, but I have two words for you...FINISH STRONG!

So badly and too frequently the enemy tries to remind you of your short comings, your past failures, everything and anything to keep you from thinking the life Jesus enables you to have is nearly impossible to obtain.

You may feel a bit sluggish at times and your speed is slowly decreasing, but again I have two words... FINISH STRONG!

Anytime Satan reminds you of your past, you better remind him of his future and FINISH STRONG!

When you are coming to the end of your season and into another within the whole grand course of your walk with Jesus, just finish strong each time, punch the wall in a grand finish and get ready to embrace the new level of victory that Christ has waiting for you!

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: - 2 Tim. 4:7

God Bless