An obstacle race

When we speak about medium-distance hurdle races, the names of two Kenyan athletes come to mind. In the Olympic Games in Seoul, KARIUKI and KOEPEH were the first two to cross the finish line in the 3000m steeplechase. Whenever the "greens" (as they are called because of the colour of their shirts) appear at a trial, everyone knows it is going to be difficult to beat them.

Life is, in a way, an obstacle race. Just as in a race there are difficulties such as hurdles of different sizes, streams of water, or varying distances between obstacles, so in life we must also overcome different

circumstances.

There are natural obstacles (perhaps like the stream), which are those laws which govern the universe. I'm talking about physical, moral and spiritual laws - those laws that cannot be altered, and certainly not broken. There are also artificial hurdles, created by man himself, who accepted sin in the world - problems that come from evil and man's confrontation with God.

There are hurdles that we create ourselves when we disobey the law or reject what God says - obstacles created by our own limitations and mistakes. There are also hurdles that just appear in our path and are not the fault of any particular person - misunderstandings and frustrations, or natural catastrophes. There are other obstacles that God places in front of us so that we can triumph and be strengthened and learn to pass easily over those yet to come, however difficult they may seem.

Maybe that seems like too many obstacles, and yet the glory comes in finishing the race. We realise our strength as we overcome each one. As we go through life, we become more able to clear ever more dangerous hurdles - larger and more difficult ones - but always in the same way, by trusting in God time after time. The more difficult the next hurdle is, the more our confidence in him will grow. There is not even one obstacle that he has not overcome. There is no trial, no temptation, and no difficult situation that can make our Omnipotent God waver.

Obstacles are nothing more than passing difficulties. The race goes on, and all we need is wisdom from God.