Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 92 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Hiking With a Limp (2)

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 92 of our Trek. Today we will continue on our Trek as we consider what it means to hike with a limp.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Our mower, which has been in the shop for the past three weeks, was returned on Saturday morning, which we were not expecting. While I was able to get some of the woodwork in the formal dining room  stripped, since it was such as nice day out, I spent several hours mowing. We have not had much rain in Ohio for the past month, so the grass was not too far out of hand. But, there were some areas that had become quite long after a month of not being mowed. It was great to get outside and enjoy the time.

Yesterday we looked at the story of Jacob when he wrestled with God and his name was changed to Israel.  Although God’s original call to start a new nation was to Jacob’s grandfather Abraham, with Jacob, who is now Israel, the new nation started to take shape.  If you missed the story of Jacob’s wrestling match, please listen to Day 91 on iTunes or Wisdom-Trek.com to get caught up. This wrestling match left Jacob with a limp that he would be inflicted with the remainder of his life as a reminder of being set apart to prepare for and build this new nation.

As we head out to explore new trails today, we realize that it will be very difficult to take this strenuous hike with a permanent limp or other disability, so we will have to be prepared for the journey. Preparation can come in many forms, but for our Trek today, let us take our rehabilitation instructions from Hebrews 12:1-3 & 12-13.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up."

"So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong."

In this passage, we see that in order to learn and adapt to our limps in life, we need training and discipline. This does not mean that we will completely recover from our limps or be without pain, but it does mean that we will learn to live with both and still live the rich and satisfying life that Jesus promised us.

So, let’s hike on our new trails for today.

Trail #2 – Are you prepared?

Our culture does little to prepare and equip us for hard things. We live in a culture designed to maximize our comfort and pleasure, celebrate these vanities, and distract us from what is real and lasting. If we take a look at what we’re sold by the media, we should expect life to be as easy as possible – filled with things that entertain and delight us amd that ensure we live hassle free lives.

From this perspective, pain is something to be avoided or ignored as much as possible. In reality, however, this is not how people actually live. We may be cushioned from the impact of suffering and pain for long periods in our lives but inevitably we are forced to come face-to-face with the harsh and often crushing realities of real and unavoidable heartbreak.