It will take grit and grace to run your race.

By nature we are visionary.

No child of God is devoid of dreams, having already caught a glimpse of the city whose Builder and Maker is God!

But the creative path in life is not an easy one. It always beckons us to stretch and seek new boundaries, pushing possibilities and dreaming things into existence.

This brings us into Hebrews 11 territory:

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” (Hebrews 11:13)

We see things afar off and set our inner compass and course, but not all of these hopes and visions will be fulfilled this side of eternity.

Although I’m deeply aware how privileged I am to have enjoyed a modicum of success in many of my creative endeavors, I also have a vast store of questions and disappointed hopes that I’ve had to swallow along the way. For every success, there has been a “string of lessons that I’ve learned” (a nice way to describe flops and fails).

What do you do when reality is not rosy and the road is far from smooth?

Grit your way through, knowing your Father is fully aware and in control, and dig deeper wells of grace in prayer to discover the lessons He is longing to teach along the way.

I have often, with hindsight, thanked God for not giving the things I thought I wanted.

Needless to say, there are also some startling omissions in His answers (or seeming lack of them) that I still have to work through. But more often than not, I’ve learned that Papa knows best. He knows the end from the beginning, and the most effective pathway there to shape my character for eternity.

Eternity after all is your ultimate destination.

Sometimes we forget.

Where we see an inch in front of our face, Father’s design and desire for your future stretches into eons.

Whatever peak or valley you are navigating right now, know that your great God, the Father of all, Creator of the worlds and all that is in them, has your back.

Read Hebrews 11 and add your name to the roster.

In the race for eternity, these were the Olympic gold winners in our Father’s eyes, and the majority of them did not boast this world’s accolades. Many were rejected and despised. Many held to hopes that made them the butt of jokes and jibes.

But when the podium is pulled out, we’ll be surprised how the final scores are calculated.

First will be last and last first.

Rich will be stricken, poor will be praised.

This is why, dear friends, even in our pursuit of excellence and success in our endeavours, eternity must remain the frame through which we define our existence.