“Stick!…” (by Mel McGuire)

As we close out another year, the Lord has been reminding me to “Finish!” I want to end the year better than I began it, to finish up strong, to “run through the tape” into next year. As I thought about it, I lingered on the image of a sprinter straining forward towards the finish line, trying to get there as the last of his energy is spent.

Even though it has been proven that you are faster if you just keep running, most sprinters, at the sight of the fast approaching (hopefully, they are sprinters after all) finish line, tend to “break form” and lunge or lean across the line.

This final act of desperation often causes them to lose their balance, and sometimes they fall. It always causes them to slow down as the race, and their need to maintain their pace, is over. They will then continue to run, often further than their actual sprint, as they slow to a walk and hopefully a victory lap.

Baseball players do the same thing as they try to beat out a ground ball. They sprint out of the box, and as they near the base in an effort to beat the throw, they lunge, dive, leap, or slide into or onto first base. They would do better to just keep on running and hit the base in stride as they go by.

The Lord began to encourage me to get another picture of what He means by “Finish!” He reminded me of a relay race, and the need to pass the baton successfully and quickly. When the runner carrying the baton nears the passing lane, he will yell “Stick!”

This is a trigger for the next runner to begin running, if done correctly, (and it is a thing of beauty when done correctly) the baton is handed off from one runner beginning to slow to the next runner who is beginning to accelerate.

The baton exchange must be done within the passing lane. Pass too soon and the receiving runner will be almost flatfooted. Pass too late and the passer will have run too far, losing valuable time, and often the receiver will have to slow down and wait anyway. In track, this violation results in disqualification. In our race, it usually results in a loss of momentum and timing.

As the year is closing, we have entered the passing lane and God is yelling “Stick!” This is your trigger to begin running into 2015, you don’t have to wait until January 1st, start now! Get ready to receive the baton of God and accelerate into this upcoming year.

You can’t wait too long, or you’ll start from a standstill. You can’t leave too soon because you can’t outrun God. The word says His blessings will overtake you, so start running now!

Keep your eyes forward and your hand ready, God will deliver the baton on time and in the lane. Start building your spiritual momentum now. Pray, study, give, love, forgive, worship, and serve now. What are you waiting for?
Look at the photo…the receiver is waiting to receive, but he is already on the move…STICK!

“Closers…” (by Mel McGuire)

Okay sports fans; this one might be for you. I was thinking about the old adage, “It’s not how you start, but how you finish”, and how it applies not only in sports but life itself, and more specifically, our walk with the Lord.

The journey to “be like Christ” has been described as a marathon, and for most people, their personal goal is just to finish. They may have a time in mind, but they just want to finish.

I have a good friend (JTD) who ran the LA Marathon a few years ago. The photo of him crossing the finish line is priceless. The agony on his face and the length of his “stride” told a compelling story…stick a fork in him…he was finished!

He said he wanted to sprint across the line and felt like he had summoned all of his remaining strength for the last dash to glory…until he saw the picture. His “closing sprint” more closely resembled a brisk walk with minimal knee lift and arm swing.

Now I mention my good friend and brother to make this point: HE FINISHED! There were thousands of people who began the race and for one reason or another did not make it to the finish line. Understand that my brother has the mentality of a “closer”.

In baseball, when a team has the lead late in the game, the pitcher may be tired and the other team may stage a comeback. Hopefully in the bullpen, the leading team has a guy we’ve come to call “The Closer”.

He comes in and shuts down the opposing team, preserving victory for his team. He is important because in baseball, like in in life, it’s who is ahead at the end that matters.

In these last days, God is looking for “closers”. In basketball, a smart coach will play his best players at the end of tight games. Those five may not be the same five that walked out to the fanfare and glory that comes with pre-game introductions, but when the game is on the line…they are the ones on the court! They are “closers”!

God says in His word, “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning…” and I want to encourage you that no matter how your relationship with God was…you can still finish strong…you can be a closer!

Here’s the deal…God is a winner. His team is going to win…are you going to be in the game down the stretch? Are you going to finish?

I don’t care what has happened, what you have done or not done, it is not too late to come out of the bullpen and shut the other side down! You can do it!

And for those of you who feel like they are doing fine as this race winds down…I remind you of the “finish line photo” I mentioned earlier.

Are you finishing strong or do you just think or feel that you are? If we took a snapshot of your “stride”, your form, and your pace, what would you really look like?

Run through the finish line! Closers get closer to the Lord the closer the Lord gets to closing this “game”. So get tight with Him, stay tight with Him, and be a closer!

It’s not enough to just finish…closers finish strong!