I am so glad I have Jesus. This past week was a very long one. It is cliche, but , as I have gotten older, most days, weeks and years really have seemed shorter. But, after last Sunday's earthquake (which I have since learned lasted 60 SECONDS (pictures in a couple of posts somewhere below)), a week during which my wife, Tara, was at the Ironman Sports Medicine conference much of the days, the arrival of one of Tara's best friends from Arkansas, Charla Roberts, and the Ironman Triathlon itself, time went by very slowly. Everything with the exception of the Earthquake was wonderful, and, typically such "busy-ness" would make time go by quickly. Instead, the unsettling nature of surviving a 6.7 earthquake made time crawl.

I was thinking about 60 seconds of the world shaking. Imagine being in your car with your children, at least two of which have started crying in anger at one another screaming loudly, and, instead of doing anything, just let them go at it for 60 seconds. While you are at it, turn on the radio loudly and, if you have a DVD player in the car let it go, too. Or, take a dip in your bathtub, pool, or lake and go under and hold your breath for 60 seconds. Or just do it right now. Time yourself and hold your breath for 60 seconds. See how long it takes for your digital clock to go from 7:07 to 7:08.

While Charla has been here I've slept in the bunk beds with the kids. The first night I did it, I woke up in the middle of the night and thought we were having an aftershock or another earthquake. The bed was shaking. Then, I heard my oldest son above me and realized he was just turning over. The trauma after an earthquake makes you think everything is an aftershock. Loud thuds, imagined shakes, beds moving because someone else is moving it, or simply someone shaking a table to get your goat, all of these things can be traumatic.

God teaches us through these things, and as I've written before we definitely see His power, His might, His sovereignty and His grace. This week I also had a time with Him going through some scriptures that some great friends of ours sent our way in a wonderful card of encouragement (Thanks Tommy and Lydia Tedford--I think they may have all been Lydia's handiwork). One of the scriptures was from Hebrews 12. It was so appropriate in light of the Ironman. I just had to share it here, from the NKJV, because I liked its use of the word "chastening":

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus (I love how the NASB says here "fixing our eyes on Jesus"), the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Imagine swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles, and running 26.2 miles. It would be so much easier if at the end you knew you would get to embrace Jesus in His fullness. The reality is that much of life is just that hard, if not harder, and the other reality is that He is right there embracing you all along!) For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:

“ My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:1-11

Oh, the joy thinking of that yield of "the peaceable fruit of righteousness"!!!! We truly can endure this race. Christ endured the race to the cross and crossed the finish line with that groan that echoes throughout all of time: "IT IS FINISHED!"

I loved how the announcer of the Ironman would announce each finisher calling them a winner. Even better was when his voice rang out across the crowd with this: "[insert name], you are an Ironman!!" I so longed to hear him say "Bryan Riley, you are an Ironman!" It helped me realize how wonderful that day will be when He says "Well done, good and faithful servant!" I can so understand, even better now, because of listening to the Ironman announcer, how incredible that day will be. I pray you will fix your eyes on Jesus, fully realize the joy set before you, and with that fixation and joy, run on and finish strong. Let now anything distract you and make you a doubleminded person.

Focus...
Depend...
Worship...
Run...
Laugh...
Enjoy...
Taste...

He is enough.