SIX HUNDRED METERS

You would think that a man on a mission would move quickly through the crowds.

On any average day it would have taken him under ten minutes. It is estimated that it took him three hours to navigate the 600 meters to his destiny of hanging on a cross.

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Even before I take the stairs, my body is breathless. It knows before I have time to rally what’s coming, why we’re here. “Breathe deep,” it whispers, reminding all the congregated parts of me that the being here is not some merry affair.

The two flights to Second Floor Oncology seem endless. I stop three times to bend my knees and head. It’s easy to allow fear to take over when the story of our lives is an unfamiliar read.

Despite his agony he steadied himself. Three times, falling. His body willing itself to remain upright, not so much so that the crowds could take him in, but so that He could drink them in instead.

I once imagined that I would scurry past the hard thing. But then the hard thing came. And I cling to it now as to the hem of his garment. What was meant to conquer me, has saved me, grounded and strengthened me for a purpose that I may never completely comprehend.

He was acquainted with his objective. He knew the conclusion. And still, one step and then the other he moved toward it with a determination equal to the glory waiting.

I BEND WITH EVERY FIBER OF MY BEING TO THIS REFUSAL TO SURRENDER TO THE DARKEST HOUR OF THE SOUL WHEN EVERYTHING SEEMS LOST.

Six hundred meters. Such an easy stroll on an average day.                               
Sometimes even the shortest distance can feel excruciatingly long…
down a cobblestone street, through a hospital corridor, or up a flight of stairs—
then someone reaches out to wipe your brow,
kiss your forehead,
grab the burden from your hands.

And the voices of all who love you, accompany you,
to a destiny only realized by going through.

THIS SUFFERING WITH A PURPOSE.
HE KNEW HIS DESTINY. ARE YOU ACQUAINTED WITH YOURS?

There is no rush to destiny, no short cut, no detour.
Only the willingness to put one step in front of the other, to greet a life worthy of the ever-after waiting at the end.

We all want to do something important, leave our mark, change the world. When I wonder if my days are shorter than I hoped or planned, I remind myself, “don’t panic, Nene,” but remember it took only three years for Jesus to alter the course of eternity.

He had everything to fear, and still he commenced. In spite of fear, who would you be in the world? I can only tell you that my toughest years have taught me to dream, expand, ask, share, learn, evolve, soak up, give.

NOTES:

The publication of this Journal entry is wedged between the saddest and most-celebrated days in all of history. If you are an admirer of those who go the distance, who despite every obstacle persevere and finish strong, then there is no greater life to study than the one Jesus Christ lived.

I am struck at this moment by something my Prayer Team admonished during our time together last week. That is, spend your moments in the presence of those who Speak Life, not death.

Perhaps the last word of the previous sentence sounds too ominous or dramatic…

But no matter your situation, I could not have used another word that speaks more clearly to the point—

There are choices [choices!] we make every day that bring a little death to our doors:

Surrounding ourselves with people who don’t have our best interest at heart.
Participating in ugly conversations that break others down behind their backs.
Scrolling through and landing on stories of despicable evil even when produced with “good intentions.”
Believing lies or even half-truths that others tell you without researching the validity yourself.
Watching shows with plots and characters that are demented, demonized, or demoralizing.
Partnering with anything or anyone that antagonizes your spirit in a way that detours you from a larger purpose in your life.

I love that science has become so sophisticated that we can now prove that exposure to negativity shortens our time here on earth. This doesn’t mean that negative things won’t happen to us. But it does mean that we have a responsibility not to create or call them into our lives.

What He did on that once-and-only-day in the history of the world calls us all to a higher plain—

To speak life, even and especially in the midst of the hard moment.
No matter what.