As a NASCAR fan, I’ve tried to wait patiently through the winter months, until the racing season began again. The Daytona 500 is the BIG start of the racing year. But the actual first race for the NASCAR drivers is called the “Bud Shootout”. However, this year I had a conflict. I was to be out of town at a church leadership retreat. Such a deal! Shootout or leadership retreat? Of course, there was no question.
Since I couldn’t record and then hit “play” for the retreat, I would just record the Shootout. One small problem with that plan. My husband had purchased a new HDTV…and switched from cable to satellite. Since he was the one who had been playing with the controls, he was the one who hopefully set it to record for me.
We had a wonderful retreat, and then headed home. The race was to come on at 5:00. At 5:17 I received a text…”LETS GO RACING!!! WOO HOO!” Quickly I responded with “Don’t tell me anything. I’m in the car headed home and I’m recording”. The response, “Are you sure you don’t wanna know who just wrecked?” With threats of bodily harm, I finally got the message across that I wanted to know nothing about the race.
The unpacking completed, laundry started and mail sorted, I sat down to enjoy the race. Being able to fast forward through the commercials caused the race to be shorter than the two-hour time slot allotted for it.
Six laps to go…with my husband napping beside me…suddenly words appear on the screen. “Do you want to delete?” Was it crazy? There was SIX LAPS LEFT! The silence woke my husband who asked, “What are you doing?”
Because of the numerous wrecks, the race had gone longer than the allotted two hours. The little box somewhere that was recording didn’t get the memo that the race was still in progress, so it stopped doing its job.
The last laps are the best and most exciting!
I texted my friend. “My recording stopped with six laps left. So who won?”
“Oh, I’m not supposed to tell! Sorry!”
More threats…and then I received the information I desired.
He knew the outcome. I did not.
A few years ago, my daughter called just as she finished watching the race. I was recording and didn’t want to know anything. So she said, “Oh, Ok. But the winner broke a record.” Knowing that Dale Jarrett would break a record if he won, I now knew the winner.
Another time that scenario was repeated. But before she hung up she said, “But he sure is cute.” How many cute drivers did she think there were? Of course that told me who won. I now no longer talk to her on the phone if I have not yet seen the end of the race.
But for those races, knowing who had already won caused me to watch the race from a totally different perspective. Watching the driver I knew to be the winner of the race be involved in a huge wreck and drive mangled from the track did not cause me any concern. I knew the outcome.
Jeremiah 29:11 tells me that God knows the plans He has for me. He’s already seen my race. He knows my outcome. So why should I be concerned?
I am facing some medical tests in the next few days. I don’t know the outcome…and my mind turns to what the results might be. But I pray I am able to take my hands off the steering wheel and allow the one who knows the outcome of my race do the driving.
Even though I may wreck or need new tires, my God has assured me that the best part of my race is still ahead.
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Good analogy here. You're right, it's God's job to know the outcome, and it's our job to stay in the race and do our very best. Thanks for the insight.
