That's it-- I'm finished.

I’m racing against me. As long as I come across the finish, I’ll be okay. –Ruben Studdard


The world can be a tough place. From the time we are young, it’s all about winning, about being better or faster or stronger or smarter. We sign our children up for soccer or softball so they can learn the game. (Some leagues for little kids will tell you they don’t keep score, but you know what? Every child—and every parent—knows which team scored more. I think it’s in our DNA.)

And of course, you can’t have a winner without also having losers. End zone dances, home plate parties and fist bumps all remind us that coming in last—stinks. Children can be incredibly mean and insensitive, and they can grow up to be mean, insensitive adults.

It’s enough to make me want to stomp my little foot and run away and hide! Or scream at the top of my lungs: I HATE THIS GAME! I’M NOT ANY GOOD AND I’M NOT GONNA PLAY ANY MORE! So there.

The games we play change as we grow older, but the agony of feeling “less than” never goes away.

That is, until we stop and listen, not to the jeers or attaboys of our teammates, but to the loving, gentle whispers of God. I love you, God says. Win or lose, triumph or travails, you are mine and I love you.

Please don’t quit. You are almost home.

Monday Begin this day by spending thirty minutes (or more) in reading Scripture or a devotional passage. Really sit with it. Pray—and rest. Matthew 6:19-21

Tuesday Just for “fun,” take a look at the stock exchange for recent weeks. Notice the ups and downs. (Does your life look like this, too?) Rest in the knowledge that your worth in God’s eyes never changes. Psalm 20:1-9

Wednesday Take time today to invest $1 (or more) in someone, whether a relative, a server at a restaurant or a total stranger. Be blessed. Proverbs 28:25-27

Thursday Take a walk outside today if you are able. Where do you see God reminding you of God’s presence? Give thanks. Isaiah 28:16

Friday Spend thirty minutes (or more) with a child today. Listen more than you talk. Seek to be both teacher and student. John 14:1-4

Saturday Today, pamper yourself a bit. Treat yourself well, remembering whose you are. Give thanks. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Sunday Palm Sunday Celebrate! You are a child of the Most High! Welcome to the Family! Ezekiel 43:1-5

Defeat doesn’t finish a man, quit does. A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits. –Richard M. Nixon


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