Lent 21 ~ The Only Race Which Matters

He who practices perfect obedience is dead to himself in order to live for God; he is not tossed here and there by his passions, but resembles a calm sea, unruffled by the tempest.  ~ St. Ignatius of Loyola

          It’s highly unlikely that I will reach this point of inner serenity any time soon. Just when I think I’ve made some progress somewhere, I trip up and it seems like I’ve not moved much from the starting blocks. Still, like so many others, there have been a few times when God has spoken to me to remind me that all our journeys are unique and known entirely only to Him. What constitutes as a failure or success to us can be perceived differently by Him. Years ago, after a massive failure, God taught me that for everything in life, there are two “races”: the one on earth and the one above in heaven – and each could not be more different. The race on earth rewards only in a way esteemed by the human race. But for the race in heaven, the medals were for all that is precious in Christianity, values which the world holds in lesser and temperamental regard.

Win the race in heaven, God spoke then.

          I learned then that the race in heaven was the only one that mattered – even if the world attempts to convince us otherwise. No matter how many times our mistakes cause our boat to tip over, God judges by how we run the race in heaven. And however successful we are on earth, it matters not unless we win the race in heaven as well.