This week’s post will be a bit different, which I guess makes it normal for Team Swap. Anyway this is a HUGE weekend, two great things happen - America celebrates it’s independence on July 4th and July 3rd the Tour De France starts. I know for most people the second one is not near as important as the first, and even to hard core cycling fans like the members of Team Swap it is not, however this year Lance Armstrong begins his quest for his sixth straight TDF (Tour De France) victory. That in itself is legendary, when you add in the last decade of Lance Armstrong’s life then you have the makings of a incredible story.
This is the thing that we want to focus on this week, what makes a story legendary or even epic you might say. Well for something to be epic or legendary it has to be first huge, and secondly beyond the abilities of an average person or an average experience. To reach that point usually requires one thing at least -a life time of preparation, which generally means hard work and time.
A epic or legend is not written in the short term, it normally takes years, and normally most of a life lived prior to it’s conclusion, for someone to live an epic life or have a epic story. This pattern holds true whether we look at the story of Lance Armstrong (broken home, single mother, tough step father, focus of on sports, triathlon success, focus on cycling, young world champion, diagnoses of cancer, cancer survival and rehabilitation, marriage, success at major life goal, children, more success, drug accusations, cleared of any drug use, more success, more children, more success, more success, marriage failing, struggle to succeed yet accomplished, divorce, new star girlfriend, on the edge of legend, and the rest of life still to be lived) that has taken thirty plus years so far, or the Biblical story of Moses (condemned to die, saved by pharaoh’s daughter, raised in home of pharaoh, murder, fleeing for life, quiet life, called to return to lead his people to the promise land, speech problem, challenger to pharaoh, conqueror of pharaoh, leader of God’s people to the promised land, miracle river escape followed by complete destruction of enemy, rebellion and disillusioned followers, revelation of Ten commandments, miracle daily food delivery, led by cloud of God, protected by God’s rear guard, sending of twelve spies, continued disbelief in followers, a generation of wondering, death without ever stepping into the promised land), or the life of David (shepherd boy, defeat of Goliath, fleeing for his life, hiding, anointed leader, rebellion, sin, forgiveness, repentance, military success, military defeat, more sin, more forgiveness, man after God’s own heart, greatest leader of Israel), or the life of Jesus (miracle birth, life of work, amazement of elders at a young age, small miracles, call to open ministry, leader of disciples, miracle after miracle, teaching after teaching, great following, arrested, unfairly convicted, abandoned by all but a few, death, burial, resurrection, revelation, additional miracles and teaching, return to heaven, sending of the Holy Spirit). Now we are not comparing Lance Armstrong to any person in the Bible, but we are simply pointing out that legends, legendary stories, and epics are not written overnight, nor are they accomplished quickly. It takes a life time of work to be a legend.
In addition to time, another key to the creation of an epic is the requirement of preparation and training before the epic or legendary opportunity arises. We can not expect to be have great success if we do not prepare to take and handle large situations or opportunities when they arise.
Preparation and training are composed of two main components work and commitment. To become a legend we have to prepare as if the opportunities / challenges already exist before they arrive. You can not mature and prepare when you are being attacked, you have to be ready to act when the attack comes, be it spiritual, physical or emotional. This requires a life pattern of work and commitment.As much as Team Swap loves cycling we love God more. Our point in this post is to challenge you to live a legendary and epic life, regardless of our state. The impact of a life well lived will carry on for generations, even if you are not recognized or rewarded during your life time. The pattern of a great life is composed of both great highs and great lows, to have the first we must expect the second. That is not to say that we should live in fear of tomorrow, it is in fact exactly the opposite. We should live our lives where we are constantly yearning for tomorrow and the opportunities that will present themselves. If we do that over a long period of time we will not just live a fulfilled and happy life, because we are living a life full of events, but we will live a life that was worthwhile and one that impacts the world.
You are not alone in this epic or legendary journey if you know God. God promises throughout the Bible (from Old and New testament alike) that He will not loose, forget, leave, forsake, or ignore His people. Once you are His you become more precious then even the life of His only son. Nothing that is that precious will be forgotten, lost, or thrown aside. Rejoice in not only your salvation, but in the power and protection that God gives you when you become His. That power and protection allows you to take on all that comes into your life and not just survive it, but conquer it. God is yearning to lead and direct your days where they are filled with blessings, success, and fulfillment, but we must be willing to live lives where we are not just looking for short term results and quick fixes.
God has a long term view, and He is not about short term solutions that have no eternal impact. To follow God requires not only patience, but work and commitment to stay dedicated to His call and vision for your life when things are not going the way you expected and not happening as fast as you would like. This is where real trust in God comes in. It is easy to trust God when you are getting blessings and rewards quickly, but when your work is appearing to be in vain and no results are visible then you have to stay with it and believe in God to lead you to a successful end.
Deuteronomy 31:1 Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: 2 "I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead you. The LORD has said to me, `You shall not cross the Jordan.' 3 The LORD your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross over ahead of you, as the LORD said. 4 And the LORD will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed along with their land. 5 The LORD will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
Deuteronomy 31:7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their forefathers to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. 8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."___________________________________________
Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
"Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you."
Hebrews 13:6 So we say with confidence,
"The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?"___________________________________________
Matthew 11:27 "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
