JESUS STARE

The undulating terrain held nothing but scare for Jones. It was rugged and narrow… the race course was

helmed in by fierce menacing barbs, thorns and gigantic briers. Another rider throttled past him on a dirt bike – the rider wasn’t looking at the terrain, but at something in front of him which Jones couldn’t make out.

There was a distant glare that could barely pass for a bush lamp. Jones knew that was the finish line but he wasn’t sure if the rider was actually staring at the glare… it was so tiny. 

This was the third rider that he had seen do that while riding past him. What were they staring at? Jones had tripped into thorny boundaries about three times. By the third time, his riding gear was riddled with innumerable cuts and his helmet was gone. He had managed to pull himself up just before sliding into the gaping darkness beyond the barbs, thorns and briers. 

“How could anyone call this The Beautiful Race?” Jones grumbled as he pulled out a prick from his left arm.

 Another rider approached and Jones observed again that he was staring into oblivion but his riding was steady. He decided he was going find out what these guys were staring at. As the rider’s bike hopped over the crest, Jones screamed 

“What are you staring at?”

 “The Manual” The rider’s scream sounded muffled from under the helmet… and Jones noticed that the rider almost tripped when he took his eyes off whatever he was staring at… but he regained balance as soon as he resumed staring. 

Jones then remembered the manual all riders were asked to buy at the beginning of the race. He had bought one but didn’t bother opening it because he didn’t need any quack telling him about dirt bike racing. Unknown to him, this was no ordinary racing… this was “The Beautiful Race”

 Jones ransacked his pocket and found the tiny manual. He opened it. Even though the light was fast fading, he could make out the words like it was bright day light. The first thing he saw was “NEVER LOOK AT THE TERRAIN”… what sort of stupid manual was this? How were you to race on a terrain without looking at it? How was one meant to negotiate the crest and troughs? 

But he continued “…KEEP YOUR EYES LOCKED ON THE LIGHT”… then it hit Jones like a cyclone… Hebrews 12:2 – Looking away from all that will distract to Jesus, the leader and source of our faith and also its finisher. 

Jones realized that the other riders where steady because the never took their eyes off the LIGHT. JESUS is that Light. Without constantly staring him, we all fall into the thorns lining the race course!