Last weekend was an exciting time! Beautiful sunshine and lots of lovely activities as our town held its’ annual festival! Here’s me with my girlies!!
My 10 year old daughter ran her first solo 3k and my husband ran his first 10k race. Here they are before the race…..
And after…….!
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:7
I can not tell you how incredibly proud I am of them both!! It was such a lovely day, sunshine, lovely friends who were so supportive and a great atmosphere! We are incredibly fortunate to live where we live!
It was a culmination of keeping fit, having fun and finishing over 200 miles walked or run by all of us as a family for Home for Good, a Christian charity encouraging the church to support those who adopt or foster children and to enthuse people to do it themselves! So far we have raised over £179 and our aim is to raise at least £200. If you feel led to, it’d be great if you could donate! https://my.give.net/Bartholomews
Find out more about Home for Good here: http://www.homeforgood.org.uk
The day continued to go well as I also got a prize…..
I was so excited!
Even though my cake wasn’t the best looking by far (must work on presentation skills!!) I won! I was so excited! The main thing that really struck me though was not that my cake won (although that was very exciting!) but that my daughters had complete FAITH that I would win! When the 3rd and 2nd positions were called, I whispered to my 10 and 11 yr old that I wouldn’t win now…..I’d thought I might scrap 3rd place maybe….? But their faith was resolute that I would win!!! And I did!!! Cue the MOST embarrassing reaction ever, me flailing my arms around like a mad woman and kissing the lovely man who gave me my certificate with a bit too much enthusiasm!!! I also forgot my prize I was so pleased!!!!
Two things that stick in my mind after this event:
Firstly in a world which seems to always be about ‘image’, where ‘looks’ count more than anything else or so it seems (and believe me as a woman and mum of 3 girls, it is a constant battle to fight that) I realised that even though my cake didn’t look the best, it must have tasted the best because of what was on the inside! What is on the inside of us is what really counts. That’s what matters more than anything. We might have the best handbags (I LOVE handbags!!!) or the best clothes, the slimmest figure (I don’t!) but it’s all nothing if we do not have a good heart inside. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
The second thing I learned from my unexpected win was that my girls had such faith in me!!!! I never realised just how much they believed in me!! They were resolute that I would WIN!!! It was great to see such faith. It challenges me about what do I have faith in? I have faith in my husband, that he will stay faithful to me and our family. I have faith that my house won’t crumble or fall down! I have faith in the people who care for and teach my children every day and I am so thankful for each and every one of them who invest in my children. But my ultimate faith is in Jesus Christ!
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 I’ll be honest with you. I have not always had a strong faith. I can still wake up and doubt. Is God good? How can I have faith in Him when there is so much suffering and destruction in this world? What are you doing God? Are you even there?
As a little girl, teenager and still as an adult, I wrestled with my faith. I would ask my Dad endless questions about God ‘what about this what about that?’ I would have surely driven him mad!!! But he was very patient with me and answered each question as best he could or told me ‘I don’t know’ honestly. I admire him for that, thank you Dad!
Sometimes we just don’t know. We have to just keep going. I made a decision that I would rather believe in God than not, choosing to believe that there is a Creator God, a ‘being’ out there who designed us, loves us and wants the best for us rather than us spinning on this planet pointlessly……however it’s not as simple as that. There is a prayer I often pray. ‘Lord help my unbelief’. It’s hard! It’s hard to know if God is real but I believe in what the Bible says and I have experienced great love from God through my family, faithful friends, personal prayer and studyingthe Bible. I can not proclaim to have all the answers or know what Gods plans are At ALL…..I have wrestled with them a lot but I know this: 1 Peter 1: 5-9 Those who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
The Bible is filled with quotes on Faith and so much more! I have placed my faith in God. What have you placed your faith in?
Love
Ruth xxx
51.709157
-1.773182