Tour deFrance
My husband has been watching the Tour deFrance, and he has been educating me regarding the rules of the race. One day he said, “Lance Armstrong isn’t worried about winning this one today.” He went on to explain that the winner of the over-all race is the one who obtains the fastest score in the end. He also said that there are “sprint sections,” in which the racers are given bonus opportunities to race the fastest they can during certain periods, and that time is taken off from their over-all race time. I asked him why they do that and he said that it just makes it that much more competitive; he said it’s as much (or more) about strategy as it is about racing.
Out of the blue, this morning he said, “Lance is out of it.” He told me Lance Armstrong fell/crashed 2 times yesterday; in fact, at one point, he crashed so hard, he had to replace his bike-seat! I saw a picture of him on the news. He was pedaling as hard as he could; his shirt and number were torn and flapping in the wind. I reveled at his determination and his ability to get back up and persevere regardless of the fact that he, personally, had lost the competition, but he wasn’t giving up on the fight. “Now, his goal is to just help his team-mate,” my husband added.
I find the Tour deFrance fascinating. In thinking about Lance Armstrong as well as the rules of the race, I am reminded that the race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned, but time and chance happen to them all. Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them (Ecclesiastes 9:11-12).
The Tour de’France, then reminds me of the frailty of man and the magnificence of God. May you as a fellow traveler upon life’s road, push hard and seek bonus opportunities to serve and bless others, get back up on your bike when you crash, and commit yourself to Christ so that you will have the strength to finish strong, and help your teammate finish the race.
Kristina Seymour loves to encourage and equip women through the Word and through community. She is the author of The Warrior Mom Handbook, The Warrior Mom Leadership Manual, and The Warrior Wife Handbook; they are available at Amazon.com. Kristina's Bible studies are for women who desire to live by faith in the midst of their everyday lives. She has learned that women can't survive on caffeine and animal crackers alone; women in the Word and in community are united and able to stand firm. To learn more about Kristina, please visit her website, https://kristinaseymour.com/. God loves to share His story of love and grace through us all, and Kristina believes that everyone has a story to tell.
Originally published Tuesday, 23 July 2024.
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