On Friday, my employer had their first company picnic at a nearby park. It was a great day filled with food, games, and fun. I signed up for the 3-legged race with a fellow coworker. I have a strong competitive nature, so I was already planning our strategy days before on how we could win against 3 other teams. The day before the picnic, I went to my coworker’s office to discuss our plan of attack. We needed to make sure we were in sync. Our cadence had to match perfectly if we were going to come out triumphant. My coworker is several inches taller than me, so his gate is a little wider than mine. But I was confident that as long as we stepped together, we could win.
A few minutes before the race, our ankles were tied together (my left to his right), and we worked out which foot we were going to start on. We practiced walking around, counting out one-two, one-two, until we developed a flow we felt comfortable with. The competitive part of me showed up with a vengeance, and I was determined to win. The whistle blew, and we started off, counting one-two, one-two. It was a slalom race, so we had to weave around cones strategically placed on the grass. Our stride was in sync, and we were gaining ground on the team just ahead of us. We got to the end of the course and turned around to maneuver ourselves around the cones back to the finish line. All the while I was shouting “one-two!”, “one-two!”, encouraging my partner to keep in step, that we were doing great. Just as we got close to the finish line, with the other leading team extremely close ahead, my partner lost his footing and we fell out of step, falling to the ground just at the finish line. The race was so close I didn’t know if we won or lost. The decision was it was a photo finish, so we had to compete again with the other team.
The second time I was feeling more confident, since we had just completed the course. I thought we had our cadence down pat. The whistle blew again, and off we went, again me shouting “one-two!”, “one-two!”. We got to the end of the course and turned around to walk/run back to the finish line. Halfway there, my partner somehow got out of step and we lost our rhythm. I tried to get us back in sync by shouting “one-two!”, “one-two!”, reminding him which leg to step with. We never regained our flow. Instead, it got worse. He completely lost his coordination and we stumbled hard over each other onto the grass, again just before the finish line. It was a dramatic ending, and we got major kudos from everyone for fighting so hard to stay in the race. But we did not win. Needless to say I was a bit miffed about it (okay, a LOT). I was so determined to win that I tried to prepare in advance with my partner so we could be in sync with each other. But the moment he got out of step, we became unbalanced, fell, and lost the race.
That night, as I was lying in bed reflecting on the days’ events, I heard God softly say that is what it’s like when I am misaligned with Him. Like when I start to go my own way and get out of His flow. Or when I focus too much on my circumstances instead of Him. I get off balance spiritually. I end up feeling frustrated, afraid, anxious. He reminded me I need to stay connected to Him at all times. Just as I was connected physically to my partner Friday by a string tying our ankles together, I must stay connected to God spiritually. I must stay connected to Almighty God, my Creator and source for everything. I must pray, study His word, and spend time in His presence. As long as I stay in His flow – His cadence, I’ll be in sync and aligned with Him. When I allow God to strategically maneuver me through life, I will never lose. And even when I do stumble, He will never let me truly fall. Psalm 37:23 – 24 says “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand” (NLT). Our God is a good God!
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your goodness. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit that leads and guides us every day, making sure we stay in step with You. Draw us closer to You through every experience. Help us to see ourselves the way You see us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
