“Imagine crossing the finish line of what you thought was a race, only to discover the path was meant to be taken as a sightseeing tour. You’ve got a stitch in your side and shortness of breath when you realise that no one is handing out medals for speed.
You have no context for this. All your life, you’ve believed that awards and grades and promotions go to those who do the most, the fastest. Not so in this “race.” The brightest ribbons are reserved for those who take their time and move through the course with methodical precision. The point of the race—you realise too late—has never been the finish line. It’s the stops mapped out for you along the way.
In these middle years of life, after walking with Jesus for decades, not days, this is how I’m learning to see the sanctification process. It’s slow by design. The finish line isn’t a moment of arrival but a spiralling closer and closer toward the heart of Jesus.”