Thursday, May 8, 2014

Pass It On

For those that have known me 10 years or less it may be hard to imagine me being skinny but for most of my life I was rail thin.  Not only was I thin but I was also fast.  Growing up in the country I didn’t like wearing shoes.  Many times I would race to the mailbox in my bare feet and my skinny body could cut through the air with ease.  When I entered into Jr. High it was natural for me to go out for track.  I was made for it. 


At one of the home track meets during my 8th grade year my mom overheard a comment by a gentleman nearby in regard to the next race.  He told another gentleman that he couldn’t wait until next year when this kid who was getting ready to race would be in high school.  I happened to be in that particular race and won pretty easily.  When my mom realized that he was talking about me she said something to her friend and discovered that he was the high school track coach.  Obviously he had seen me run before and couldn’t wait for me to run on his team next year.  That’s a pretty proud moment for a mom.

Fast forward one year to a home track meet as a freshman in high school.  It was our home invitational meet and I was running on the Varsity 4x400 relay where everyone runs a full lap.  Once again my mom was in the stands to cheer her skinny boy on.  I was the first leg of the race and after running 250 meters I would normally go through a mental routine making sure my breathing was steady and that I was pushing myself so I could give the next runner as good of a lead as I could give him.  It was around this time that my mom heard someone else in the stands yell out, “He doesn’t have a baton!”  While going through my mental checklist I came to that very realization.  I didn’t have a baton.  For a quick second I thought that maybe I was running the individual 400 meter race but I could clearly see the other runners lined up.  My next thought was that maybe I could pick up a stick along the track and hand that off instead of a baton.  No such luck.  I saw nothing along the track and as I rounded the corner my ‘stupid freshman’ nightmare was complete.  The starter official was waving me off of the track and our relay team was eliminated.  Despite all of my hard work I had nothing to hand off.  That was a not so proud mom moment.  “I don’t know whose kid that is.”

Last night my wife got the call that her grandmother had passed on.  It was just a few years ago that her grandfather on the other side of the family passed on as well.  In both instances I can’t help but think of the relay races that I was a part of over the course of those 7 years in track and relate it to what Paul says to the church in Corinth.

“Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.  By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance…..”--1 Corinthians 15:1-3

As a recipient of the gospel, Paul wants to make sure he makes the hand off to the church.  The gospel is extremely important and he doesn’t want there to be any confusion about it.  This is ‘of first importance’. 

The list of things that Allen and Ruth passed on to others before passing on is a lengthy one.  (Right now in my head I’m hearing a Fraggle Rock song called ‘Pass It On’) The physical characteristics and the character traits are easy to spot in their kids and I’m sure that many of those things will be discussed when family gets together to remember and celebrate Ruth’s life.  But above all of those things are the gospel sort of things that Allen and her passed on to their kids and grandkids.  The Kingdom qualities that I saw exhibited in their lives are the things I pray for.  Since Allen passed away, I have regularly prayed for his gentleness to manifest itself in my life.  It’s something I deeply desire and need because I’m not a gentle person.  As I spend time thinking about Ruth I will do the same thing by choosing a Kingdom quality that stood out in her life which I desire to bear fruit in mine.  I’m not sure whether ‘sassy’ counts as a Kingdom quality but that’s what stands out when I think of her.     

What will you pass on before you pass on?  My shining moment as a freshman has provided numerous life lessons over the years.  When it comes to life, you don’t want to round the corner and realize that you have nothing to pass on of first importance.  When you are at the end of your race there are only a few things that are of first importance and handing off the gospel is at the top of the list.  There were people who needed me to do my part and I let them down.  On the flipside, it is a wonderful experience to hand off that baton knowing that I gave it my all.  And not only that, but the next runner has a good head start for their part of the race. 

Thank you Allen and Ruth for providing a good head start in life for your family and friends who got to watch you run your race for God’s glory. 
 
Here's the Fraggle Rock song from A Muppet Family Christmas.  Watching this movie is a Christmas tradition that is being passed on.
Pass It On

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