Walking into the house after being out of town for the weekend, I dropped my bag on the kitchen table. I instantly noticed my tulips. It was already dark outside, but these little tulip stalks were still straining towards the window, towards the light that had shown through on them hours earlier. They were stretched out almost pulling themselves from the soil. All of them straining toward the light.
It made me think about those great words Paul wrote — from a jail cell no less.
“But one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)
Straining toward what is ahead like tulips straining toward the sun, or like a runner towards the finish line. You’ve seen the pictures. A few runners side-by-side with their chests and bodies stretching out, straining toward the finish line tape. It’s exactly what we are encouraged to do!
When I think of runners, I think of the Olympic runner Abbey D’Agostino. She’s the one in Rio 2016 who tripped over a fallen runner, tearing her ACL, but helping the other runner up they both pressed on to finish the race. It was a crazy beautiful story! When she helped the other runner up she said to her “we have to finish this.” Powerful stuff! Reading up on Abbey, I learned the day of that race she had written a scripture on her hand, “Now to him who is able.” Again, powerful stuff!
The full scripture is, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to his power that is at work within us.” (Ephesians 3:20)
Like tulips stretched toward the sun or a runner straining toward the finish line, let’s not be quitters! Let’s finish the race. Let’s look toward what is ahead. Let’s press on toward the prize. Let’s look toward the Son, because he is able. He’s more than able!