The 3 Most Convincing Reasons Christians Should Get Vaccinated

I'm a fully vaccinated Jesus follower. I want you to be one too. I wish all of us would get one of the vaccines against covid-19.

Like most everyone in this world, I've been deeply affected by the virus. I lost my job and have been underemployed for a year and a half. I had a family member pass away before vaccines were available, and at the time of this writing, I have a family member who was hesitant about the vaccines and is now recovering from the sickest point of his life.

On one hand, I understand the hesitancy. There's no getting around that the mRNA vaccines are experimental.

Yet, there are many indications that we, collectively as Believers, should take a significant step of faith and get vaccinated. Here are the three most convincing reasons Christians should get the vaccine...

Because We Prayed for This

With the Spring 2020 outbreak, Christians around the world went exactly where they knew they should: to the throne of God. We prayed — intensely — for a supernatural end to the pandemic. We prayed for our Creator to intervene on behalf of the world.

And like we believed he would: He answered our prayers!

In a truly miraculous timeframe, we had vaccines that could bring a swift end to covid-19. It was a never-before-seen response to sickness and disease.

And somehow, many Christians have rejected God's answer. I believe that it's because the answer looks different than we expected.

You're likely familiar with the story of the man whose was trapped in his house as floodwater began to rise. A Jeep came by to rescue him, but he declined, citing, "No. I have faith. The flood won't get me. God will rescue me." As the waters rose, a boat came by to rescue him, but he declined again for the same reasons. Then again when a helicopter offered. Ultimately, the man drowned.

At the pearly gates, the man says to God, "I had faith. Why did you let me drown?" Of course, God replies, "I sent you a jeep, a boat and a helicopter.  What more could I have done for you?"

Brothers and sisters, I urge you, don't reject the mighty hand of God who has responded to your faith-filled prayers simply because the answer doesn't meet your expectations.

The Father made a way when there was no way.

Accept the miracle.

Because It's an Exercise in Wisdom and Rejecting Fear

Please prepare yourself for this: Research shows that Christians are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories than the average person, and white Evangelical Republicans even moreso.

(Here's just one of many articles on the topic. And FYI, research shows that other faiths also share a propensity for believing conspiracies.)

There may be a noble reason for this. The world would say a virgin birth is crazy and that a man rising from the dead can't be true. In some ways, we're used to saying, "I don't care what the world thinks; I believe something else."

But somehow a steadfast belief in the Word of God despite the world's rejection of it is translating to susceptibility to other things the world rejects that are not in the Word of God.

I do not want this for us. It's not healthy.

It's not wisdom.

Now, I get that we currently live in a world where sussing out facts is difficult. It is. Everyone's making up their own "truth." A lot of individuals, groups and entire industries stand to gain a lot by vaccinations. And as covid-19 changes and vaccines roll out, we're constantly getting new numbers and stats and facts. Additionally, there may be people — medical or scientific professionals — that you like who advise you not to get a vaccine.

Nevertheless, the overwhelming majority of reputable sources all agree: The vaccine is safe, effective, and it does far, far more good than harm.

Yep, you'll find plenty of news articles ringing the alarm about how this medical group or that military group isn't yet vaccinated. I'll say it again: 

The overwhelming majority of reputable sources...

I urge us all: Let's listen to wisdom. As Proverbs says, she's calling out in the streets.

And if you're honest, truly honest, how much of your vaccine hesitancy is based in fear? "What if I get a certain reaction?" "What if compliance is giving the government powerful and bad ideas?" "What if there's nanotechnology in the vaccine transmitting my health data to receptors?"

What if the Jeep explodes? What if the boat's a trick? What if the helicopter crashes?

It's all just fear.

Many Christians decided to reject masks and social distancing in the name of "I'm not going to live in fear of this virus." Ironically, many of those same Christians are now rejecting vaccines for fear of the unknown.

Let's say "Be gone!" to fear, and let's exercise embracing wisdom and rejecting conspiracy.

Because We Love Our Neighbors

Though the stakes may be life or death, I want to focus on love.

Our neighbors are asking us to protect them. Yes, they're often begging, screaming, arguing, guilting, and/or shaming us about it. But if you can look past that and see them how Jesus might have, at the core, they're asking.

Here's a challenge: Even if you believe that covid-19 is of no threat to you or them and you think the vaccines are risky, aren't we called to sacrifice ourselves for our neighbors?

Shouldn't love and service to our world at our own expense be a part of our daily lives? Shouldn't it be an automatic yes from us?

Here's a thought experiment: If every Christian was vaccinated in the name of loving their neighbors, but somehow the naysayers and dissenters turned out to be right, and in 10 years all the Christians get terminal cancer and die, wouldn't that be the most powerful testimony the world has ever heard? "Wow, the Christians loved us all so much that they laid down their lives in order to protect us from this virus."

We know that "perfect love casts out fear." God's love in us has the power to cast out not only our own fear, but also our neighbor's.

In every circumstance, love accepts risk. We should be the first in line to love and serve our neighbors in this way.

So please, brothers and sisters...

Let's accept God's answer to our prayers.

Let's exercise wisdom and reject fear.

Let's love our neighbors.

Let's get vaccinated.

the one about the Card

It's black, gray and sunshine yellow. It's plastic. And it has my name on it.

And as I sit in the lobby of my apartment complex, having just plucked it from the mailbox, I'm holding it in my hand, fighting back tears.

My SAG card.

(Or, more accurately, my SAG-AFTRA card.)

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is the world's largest and most respected performers' union. Among other things, the Union protects actors' safety and dignity on sets, it ensures minimum pay rates for performers and sees that they are paid, and it also sets up benefits for its members.

Chances are, you'd be hard-pressed to name an actor who's not in the Union, because virtually every actor you see in film or TV is in it. Getting your SAG card is a momentous occasion in every professional actor's career.

I have been eligible to join since February 2011. If we're doing the math, that's over eight years.

That's a long time.

So why'd it take me the better part of a decade to join? Two reasons...

First, becoming eligible is its own hurdle -- very tough for a lot of actors -- but coming up with the $3000 initiation fee has been the giant feat for me.

I'm sure it's no secret that life in Los Angeles is difficult and expensive. (I wrote a book about it!) Finding a job that pays well while minimizing living expenses enough to save $3K... that's near impossible. Now throw $70,000 in student loans on top of that.

Second, once you joined the Union, you're saying "no" to working non-union jobs. These jobs almost never pay as well as union work, however, common wisdom is "Don't join the Union until you have to." Work is work, and for an actor, there's little logic to precluding yourself from work, right?

So my plan was to audition until I booked a co-star or guest star on a union show or movie, which would by default require me to join and could simultaneously pay for a good portion (if not all) of that initiation fee.

But for over 3000 days, that job never came.

Over 3000 days, I auditioned for non-union work as my friends, roommates and colleagues joined the Union, got free movie screeners in the mail, talked about Union elections, and voted for the SAG Awards. Heck, one of my friends was nominated for a SAG Award. 

Over 3000 days, I had faith that God would help me book that union job I needed, prayed He'd miraculously free me of my debt, believed He'd provide the initiation fee.

But He didn't.

And 3000 days is a long time.

It's a long time to be living in LA, feeling like my career is passing me by.

After a few years, I start to wonder: Am I relegated to non-union work because my talent level just isn't there? Like, there must be a reason I'm not union yet. Right? Am I on a 50-year slow fade to failure?

A couple more years pass. Then a couple more. (Remember, we're talking years, here.)

3000 days is a long time to be wondering where God's goodness is.

So what gives? I don't even know how long ago I stopped asking God for His help in this area.

But here I am, holding the card. A couple weeks ago, I walked in the SAG-AFTRA offices, filled out my application, and authorized their $3116.29 charge to my credit card.

So what happened? And what have I learned?

The biggest change is that I've spent the last few years learning to let go of how I thought things we're going to look, what I thought life was going to be like. It's been an especially arduous process.

I had to let go of the romantic notion of booking a small-but-great role on a TV show for my ticket into the Union. I had to say to myself, "Y'know what? It's a desire of your heart to be in the Union. You should care less about the specifics of how it happens. You should save the money and join."

That mindset shift seems like a simple enough solution, except it's made infinitely complicated by an intense feeling of shame. Trying and failing to join the Union for eight years... that's a lot of failure. I often told myself that I must not deserve it yet.

So, believing I'm legit enough to let go of the idea of how I'd earn a place in the Union... Woof. I believed that membership in this exclusive actors' club would legitimize me. And perhaps it would have. But so does a new lens looking at my eight years of living the actor life.

In addition to the personal growth that it took, joining the Union also took finances. And the Father hooked. me. up.

Simply off a referral from a friend, I got a job managing the apartment complex where I live. So, I'm living rent-free in this season of life. In LA, that means I'm saving approximately $800-1000/month.

Property managing ain't easy, and it's not for everyone, but it means that I was able to save the initiation fee in just three months.

Here's what I hope you take away from this post: God is faithful.

God is faithful, even when our faith runs out and we give up and we stop praying. He gives us the desires of our heart out of His love for us, but for His glory, He does so in His own timing.

If I'm honest, a small part of me is still very peeved by His timing. To my brain, it's rude (at best). Nevertheless, this upcoming week being Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday), I'm going to be filled with gratitude for my membership in the Union and for this newfound fantastic opportunity to serve this acting community I love so much.

And I'm going to be thankful that I serve a God who is always...

Always ALWAYS... Faithful.

A mere mortal

From the City of Angels

Livin his dream

the one about Hotlanta

I was sitting on a couch across from three ladies; one of them held a digital audio recorder in her hand.

“I saw this picture of you with instructions in your hand and they were upside-down and you were like, 'What is this? How do I do this?' God wants you to know it's not complicated; it's really simple. You just ask, cause He wants to tell you. I feel like He's gonna give you clear instructions. You're gonna have a breath of fresh air...”

She was offering me a prophetic word from the Lord.

It was actually a lot less kooky than it might sound. Her eyes were open; her tone was very conversational.

I was at a place reputed for its nights of prayer and prophecy. After getting on “the list”—which felt much like getting on “the list” to a party—there was a time of prayer and free-worship. Then, the ministers pulled us attendees aside to a quieter room, sat down with us individually, and gave us insight into what they believed God was saying to us. I was grateful the prophecy was very open-handed and without pressure to accept or agree. Plus, they recorded every word and emailed it to me within the next few days, giving me the opportunity to give it another critical listen. I left with a positive opinion about the experience but it wasn’t like someone turned on the lights for me or anything. 

And yet, the whole thing was definitely percolating in my mind when I received one of those phone calls from my parents in South Carolina:

“Son…!” 

(It’s charming that my parents regularly forego using my name in favor of calling me “son”.) 

“Son…! We met a huge casting agent!”

Now, if you’re an artist in Los Angeles and your family lives far away, you know this is a familiar conversation:

“My girl friend Angie went to college with a producer out there.”

“We met a very cute actress.”

“I saw a commercial you were perfect for!” 

Unfortunately, these calls typically don't lead anywhere useful. But at least you know your loved ones still care.

Judging by the fact that the job title is a casting *director* and not, as my parents called it, a "casting agent," I expected this to be another one of those calls.

I was kind of wrong. The next day, I followed up on their lead with a phone call. His name is Russ and he was not, in fact, a huge casting director. However, he had cast some small projects in the Atlanta area and, of all the people my family had met and enthusiastically told me about, he was the most knowledgeable about the entertainment industry, being especially informed about the Atlanta market.

Within a few months, I was headed to spend July in Hotlanta, with overwhelming support from my job, actor friends and manager. Everything fell right into place. The plan was this: Because my parents plan on moving to Atlanta, I can be a “local hire.” I’ll go to Atlanta, take meetings with some agencies and choose the best fit while scoping out the acting scene. I was to stay a couple weeks with a fraternity brother and then a couple weeks with Russ.

When I arrived in Atlanta, it quickly became clear that my expectations were way off.

I met actors who are auditioning 10-20 times per month, married, kids on the way, buying houses with their survival jobs, and regularly booking work.

And then, in the space of two weeks, I was rejected by 7 agencies who said they no longer even consider bi-coastal talent.

I got genuinely depressed for a few days. I told the Lord that if all that happened on the Atlanta trip was getting closer to Him, then the trip was not a waste. 

I had to mean it.

Days later, I got the opportunity to pray with (and for) my dad at the Mall of Georgia. Of course, we included my career in those prayers. 

Within a few hours, I received a phone call from a casting director working on an Amazon pilot for which I had self-submitted.

“I saw your tape and showed it to our production team. I’m pleased to offer you the role of _____ .”

The role was only a one-line co-star. And I’d have to fly myself back to Georgia to shoot it. But it was an answer to prayer.

I was ecstatic.

This was the first time I’d booked a co-star as an actor. I’ve got some co-stars on my résumé that I booked as a dancer. But no one had ever paid me to say something onscreen. I’ve been out of college and working to make this happen over five years.

Naturally, I told lots of people.

Incidentally, the scene was a period piece set at a social dance. So in the following weeks, I did my research. I listened to every song mentioned in the script and scoured the Internet for videos showing the period-specific dances.

When I got on the plane at LAX to go back to Georgia, I was filled with so much excitement, so much gratitude to the Lord.

So this is what it feels like. This is what it's like getting on a plane to go shoot a pilot... God, You are so good to me.

And then, the most terrible thing happened.

I arrived in town, explored a little. Received my call time. Showed up and checked in with the 2nd AD. Filled out paperwork. Went to wardrobe. Went through hair and makeup. Went to set. Met a couple of the other actors. Spoke with the dialect coach. And I was standing on set when…

The director gave my part away to someone else.

To an extra. 

He made an in-the-moment decision based on who-knows-what. He told the 1st AD and the PA that brought it to the director’s attention, “Well, I hate to disappoint.”

I didn’t even get a chance.

I can’t describe the swell of the most intense negative emotions that washed over me as I watched it happen. 

Devastation. 

Anger. 

Embarrassment. 

So much embarrassment.

And in the moment, loss of faith.

I've blogged before about how the way in which we handle unanswered "why" questions shapes our faith. But this was on another level.

It's really difficult to shake the human need to place blame.

The first target of my blame was God. 

You're in control, right? So what the hell? This was so obviously an answer to prayer. To years of prayer. This felt like the first step of me walking into my calling, Lord. It seemed like You were finally beginning to make good on Your promises.

But of course He gently reminded me that He deserves no blame. He's a good Father. He is for me. I have no grounds on which to blame Him.

So I blamed acting.

Acting, how could you wound me this deeply? I love you -- enough to go to hundreds of auditions only to be rejected. But I don't love you this much, to put up with hurts like this. Do I have to walk away from this relationship?

But a couple days later, Bonnie Gillespie re-issued her "Just Once More" speech. Slowly, I realized that you can quit, but you can't walk away from who you are. Even furthermore, just because I got hurt doesn't mean the mission has changed.

So I blamed myself.

Jonathan, all of your sins and indiscretions cost you this. Until you can pull yourself together, you can't be trusted. You're not acceptable, and this dream will always be a carrot dangling in front of you.

Escaping your own blame is the hardest. Because the truth is: I should walk in obedience to God. And I should be ready for each assignment He gives me.

But God uses whom He wants, when He wants.

And I can never be good enough to warrant His gifts.

I can never get myself together enough to deserve His favor.

I can never perfect myself enough to win His calling.

Because none of it is earned. It's all given.

Jonah didn't earn the plant that shaded Him. And God wasn't wrong when He took it away. Jonah was still better off, having been shaded for a day. And even though the experience was disappointing, I'm still better off for having had it. I can still put in on my résumé. I'm still better off financially.

*sigh* Still learning to trust...

Aren't we all? :)

A mere mortal

From the City of Angels

Livin his dream

the one about Adoption

This year in LA, I reached a momentous life marker.

I have now lived in Los Angeles longer than I've lived anywhere: 7-1/2 years.

I mean, it's already a big deal that I've survived this long in the City of Angels (not an easy thing to do).

I mentioned this in passing to someone -- a stranger -- born and raised in LA. She replied, "Cool! You're an adopted native, then."

While slightly oxymoronic, the concept of "adopted native" quickly sank in deep. I was almost immediately awash in emotion.

That woman will never know how intensely I was touched. I will ever thank my Maker for

momentarily putting her in my path. My soul resonated with a truth that, until then, only my spirit had known.


Romans 8 says: "...You received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, 'Abba, Father.' For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children."


I feel I've never been "native" to anything. Maybe this stems from my constant questioning of the definition of "home," and my cyclical world-weariness.

But "adopted native"... 

I'm into that. That's beautiful. When I think about it, it's one of the most welcoming things someone can say.

But the welcome is specially powered by the native-ness of the speaker. As much as I've felt like LA is my scene, I can't say this to myself. Another LA-from-wherever transplant can't say this to me.

In a moment, her passing sentiment affirmed to my soul:

"You didn't start here; you were an outsider. 

But I recognize that you belong here. 

Come be with us. And stay.

I want you here."

A mere mortal

Adopted into the City of Angels

Livin his dream

the poem about Green

My twitter bio claims that I'm a "warrior poet." 

This is a poem I wrote in the height of spring this year. For some reason, I was inspired to post it now.

every green thing is worshiping You                                             

            leaves and needles shimmer like                                       

            faraway stars when the wind runs by
branches and even entire trees that                                             

            don’t seem to have a proper place                                    

            teach those who will see how to praise in their own unique                     way
and the green we don’t often notice

– moss, algae – are examples

of your steadfastness and gentleness       

the insects green                                                                  

          Your vim and creativity                                                       

those greens some call weeds are

Your ceaseless pursuit after man’s heart

and the greens wrapped up tight,

tucked away in light
refracted by water and precious stones                                       

          on earth, by dust in space are

          a glimpse into Your mystery                                               

Turn our ears!                                                                                  

          For of new life found in You 
          green is whispering

A mere mortal

From the City of Angels

Livin his dream

the one about Creativity

"In the beginning, God created..." - Genesis 1:1

In the letter that I believe God wrote to us (the timeless story that assures us that perfect love ultimately wins over all evil), the very first thing He tells us about Himself is that He is a Creator. And before that first chapter closes, He has created beings -- humans -- in His own likeness.

The only beings also capable of creating.

Nature certainly worships Him in various ways, but our creativity is the offering that only we can offer for His glory.

When we explore our creativity, we are exploring our capacity for worshiping the Creator.

And I realized that I had been unwittingly withholding my best creativity from Him. For a long time -- way too long -- my creativity was filtered, edited, even defined, by what other people would think of it. Namely, what my parents would think of it.

Of course, people generally don't want to disappoint their parents. But I made most of my creative decisions based on a lifetime of avoiding their disappointment and disapproval. Some of this thinking was rational, deriving from childhood and adolescent experiences. Much of it was just an accrued approval addiction.

Bonnie Miller Katz, MFT, has a column for actors. In one post, she advises, "If you are constantly trying to prove your worth to someone else, it means that deep inside you feel that you are not enough. When you put too much weight on others' opinions, you will always be their prisoner." 

Your inner artist is like a young child. That child cannot play (read: create) truly and freely without feeling safe to do so. As a creative, the opinion of "should" -- imposed by self or others -- often is a dangerous trap for your artist child. Katz says, "Don’t get stuck on what you think you should be doing, feeling or thinking." (I would add "where your life should be by now.") "If you find yourself saying should more than want, you’re on someone else’s path, not your own."

In The Artist's Way, author Julia Cameron expounds on the shift to being spiritually dependent:

"Remembering that God is my source, we are in the position of having an unlimited bank account. Most of us never consider how powerful the creator really is... We decide how powerful God is for us. We unconsciously set a limit on how much God can give us or help us...

God has lots of money. God has lots of movie ideas, novel ideas, poems, songs, paintings, acting jobs. God has a supply of loves, friends, houses that are all available to us. By listening to the creator within, we are led to our right path... Very often, if we cannot seem to find an adequate supply, it is because we are insisting on a particular human source of supply."

Maybe you insist on a human source, too. It's gonna run out. I insisted on the voice of human approval. 

Maybe you perceive a voice:

A friend's. A sibling's. A boyfriend's.

Society's. Church's.

The voice of your own perfectionism.

You can't create for them and also be free.

You can't.

You can't.

Your creativity will always be their prisoner.

You have to create for the glory of the Creator within.

I realized that I assumed the perfect Creator was just like my imperfect parents. My relationship with Him ever-so-gradually became about staving off a huge screw-up, about fearing cosmically and infinitely disappointing Him.

And He's not about that.

He is for you. He is not against you.

He loves you.

He loves your creativity.

He gave it to you.

You and your art are enough because He is more than enough.

You have to create for the glory of the Creator within.

A mere mortal

From the City of Angels

Livin his dream

the one about Running

Last week, I did a very #soLA thing:

I ran the LA Marathon.

All 26.2 miles. It was nuts.

For me, everything was deeply meaningful. (Even the course was significant. The first three miles start off in my hood, then it goes right by my church, and then launches off into my mission field. Pretty cool.)

I ran to raise money for a human trafficking rescue. What I got back was an explosion of the words of Paul inside my heart, yielding a dozen or more unanticipated spiritual lessons. Here are some select lessons that really came to life for me...

You have people cheering you on.

On the course, I saw familiar faces from the charity at mile 6. I had two friends along the route at miles 11 and 12. Also, my parents were able to record a five-second video that played on a large screen with speakers when I was dying at mile 21.

It was so special, so truly encouraging.

Not only that, but there were thousands of strangers along the way cheering, holding signs and banners. Many of them spent their own money to offer runners orange slices, bananas, pretzels (and Vaseline!).

On your spiritual journey, YOU have people cheering you on, too. 

Some are people you know, some are people you knew.

Some are people you never knew.

But they are watching. And cheering.

And they care.

They care about you running well.

About you finishing strong.

When the road in front of you looks too steep 

or too far 

or too freaking painful 

Close your eyes, and listen to the cheers.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. - Heb 12:1

***NOTE*** There will always be people celebrating with you at the finish line who know nothing of your journey or what it cost to arrive there. Resist the temptation to resent them and their absence when times were difficult. You may acknowledge their ignorance to yourself, but appreciate their efforts to rejoice with you.

Don’t pay attention to the doofus in the banana costume who is beating you.

If you've run very many 5- or 10-Ks or half-marathons, you know that there is always this guy. The one dressed up as a banana or a cow or Barney the purple dinosaur.

Whatever. It's annoying.

Especially because that guy's joy is being out in front, making everybody laugh (or roll their eyes) while they tail him and his silliness. And it's so easy to let that guy get to you or distract you.

If you pay attention to him, you will not run a smart race. You will not focus on your own game, and you'll spend a ton of physical and mental energy trying to pass him up.

Here's the thing about that guy: have you ever seen some bozo in a banana costume breaking the finish line tape? No. Never happens. He never wins. So what's the point in paying any attention at all?

In this industry especially, comparison kills careers. Comparing your passion project to someone else's sideshow can only break you.

In our faith, Satan loves to throw us off-track with the unimportant. Put your eyes where they need to be. Keep them there, no matter what.

We [run with endurance the race God has set before us] by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. - Heb 12:2-3

God is your shade and refuge.

In training for this race, I almost always ran at dusk as the day is cooling off. I was nervous about this run beginning early morning and then getting hotter throughout.

And with good reason. It was one of the hottest LA Marathons on record.

Really, the cloud cover was nice and the temp wasn't too bad until, oh, mile 16 or so. *rolls eyes*

At that point, chances to run in the shade became unexpectedly invaluable to me. I noticed a huge difference in the amount of energy output under the hot sun versus the energy needed to keep pace in the shade. I kept thinking of Jesus offering "rest for your souls", a "yoke" that is not harsh or hard, a burden that is so light. I also thought of the psalmist talking again and again of the shelter, shade, shadow, and hiding place found in Him.

Are you running in the sweltering heat? Struggling more than you need to? The shade is just three feet to your left.

Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. - Heb 6:18-19

You are an overcomer.

I'm a pretty positive person. I can struggle with self-doubt just like anyone else, but rarely do I get swallowed in negative self-talk.

Nevertheless, "overcomer" and "more than a conqueror" were kind of just nice words on a page, motivational when spoken, inspirational when prayed.

Until I had 1 mile left in the LA Marathon.

I'd been running for well over 3-and-a-half hours at that point. Just six months ago, I could not have even fathomed what this would feel like. I was hot. I was exhausted.

But I knew I was going to make it!

I knew I was going to finish. 

I could see the crowd in the distance and the bright orange Asics banner over the finish line, and Mandisa's "Overcomer" played through my earbuds. The Scripture had never felt so real. It was true and truly incredible.

Because of Christ, YOU are an overcomer.

Don't stop. Don't quit.

Don't give in.

Press on.

Run.

You are an overcomer.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. - Rom 8:35, 37

You’re good enough because God’s grace is sufficient.

I don't have a long-legged runner's build. In fact, I don't really have the perfect build to be the world's best in any sport. Sure, there are sports I enjoy and am more suited for, but I'm never going to the Olympics in anything.

Nor would my parents have wanted that for me, growing up. They always wanted my sister and me to experience things in moderation and not let anything consume our lives. Not too much speech and drama, not too much swimming, not too much video games.

I became acutely aware that I was good at a lot of things, but I was never going to be the best at anything. And if you're not good enough to be the best, what's the point?

I have a really good voice. But it's never going to win American Idol.

I'm a very talented dancer. But I'm never going to win So You Think You Can Dance.

Cause I'm not good enough.

For years, I'd stop the sentence there. On this run, God spoke to me:

"If I wanted you to win the Olympics or TV talent competitions, I would have gifted you that way. No, you are not good enough to live someone else's destiny. But you are exactly good enough for your own calling. You and I are in this together. Give me your availability and commitment. I'll do the rest."

His love sees you, truly sees you, all of you.

And He says you're good enough.

For He is more than enough.

But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me! - 2 Cor 12:9

I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]. - Phil 4:13

Be encouraged! Run well, with endurance! Know that God is good and faithful. Trust that He is giving you opportunities for adventure, and be observant enough to see that they may be in your own backyard.

A mere mortal

From the City of Angels

Livin his dream