LIFE IS A RACE . . .

As life goes harder and harder for most of us, everyone seemed to race in chase of the good life. Some race for the elusive money, material possessions, some for blind pursuit of career success and others for personal fulfillment. Whatever it is money always stood alone as an issue. The way in which we quantify the echelon of our contentment or the norm of living we want to savor shows the race we want to run. We race in pursuit of a good life, for our self and our dear ones. There were instances envy, conceit, and material lust compelled us to race or people tend to compare their lives with their neighbors. They leave their home and bear the agony of solitude counting the days and the nights away from what they called their comfort zone - home. Some wins and most not. The repercussion of running the race, and failing takes a heavy price. When we choose to race the breakage lines soon to come into sight on the path we take and collapsing is not far behind. It's like doing a balance sheet it has two sides and the other side of it is relationship. We may opt not to take the race, and not love this world of materialism and just walk with perseverance, hope and faith because all too frequently and regrettably, in pursuit of a good life most leave a footpath of a wrecked relationship. Uncurl perverted priorities. Guidance, concern and relationship every so often take second place to the material and financial emphasis of so many of us. People with broken relationship chatter with little indignity about their flops in home but in quick-witted contrast are quite self-justifying if they fail in their careers or business undertakings or blow their own trumpet about their material and financial attainment. Success and wealth are sometimes acquired at the expense of closeness with our family. Many believes by working away from home they can furnish more things or lavish their children with gifts to bring happiness to their homes but in real sense it doesn't satisfy and compensate for the real gift of personal association and the empty longing in the abyss of our soul, the longing for home and family - a true place where love grows well, verdant and fragrant. I have seen and watched some people cry their eyes out as they recounted to me their tales of being away from home. Some with personal life blown apart others with families in muddle . . . none of their financial accomplishments are of the slightest help. Others rose from rugs to riches then back to rugs again . . . They were the race's losers. I also respect the fact that the same thing can happen to me as to anyone. I thanked their stories somehow made me think what contentment is all about. Several times I was tempted to take this sort of race, but every time I dare I think of my family, then my will power seemed all to fade. This world is full of hazards how many young lives have gone extremely far wrong without the fatherly guidance at home. I cannot afford to lose even a single second without them. As said, no amount of success can compensates for failure in home. I am by no means neither perfect nor faultless father, in fact I always feel culpable to my family that I can only give as much and only just can offer the life we have now. But I always thought that my daughters and my wife want me to be the chief executive of the house so it can run efficiently and embrace up the family in the most paternal ways. I realized I am the most important man in their life and my children would be able to put up their lives according to what they see in me. Can I show these aspects of a good father even if I am not with them? Perhaps yes but not absolutely. I know a father's physical presence is invaluable to them as it is with other children. It is also priceless to my wife as it is too with other spouses. Problems and trials come in, but the happiness of being together fortifies my spirit and belief with God that I can deal with it. Love makes a family and a family in harmony will prosper in everything. Life is a race . . . we want the best for our family but sometimes the best turns out to be the worst. We make our own choice; the burden to make the wrong choice is tempting and powerful and should not be underrated. We can just walk . . . slowly and patiently through God's help, we shall reach our desired destination safe and successfully or we can choose to sprint but we cannot choose the aftermath. The reason and the consequence kind of our choice labels us.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Hebrew 12:1