“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 3:13-14  

This past September I competed in the Northeast Regional Powerlifting Competition in Albany, NY. I had trained for many months and was in the best shape of my life. My hopes were high and I was determined to give it my all! Without going into the details, from the very first moments of the day it was a disaster. The only positive thing was that it was not my fault. There was a total breakdown in how to deal with an Adaptive Athlete, so I was judged as if I was a man with two legs. The result was devastating to say the least. Although the powers that be rectified things and months later my lifts were counted as successful, the emotional and mental wounds were deep and painful. Although I persevered through the day and had some very high moments, the desire to quit and run were intense! In my heart, I vowed that I would never compete again. That pain of failing like that was almost more than I can describe. 

In life, including the Christian life, there are both triumphs and trials, victories and failures, gains and losses. If we are not careful, we can easily allow the negatives to overrule the positives and just give up! Wisdom knows that is not the right response! We must learn from our trials, put them behind us, and press forward! For the believer the goal is “the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” We may have lost a battle but the war is not over. One bad inning does not end the game. Press on! 

It took a few days of healing, but with a lot of encouragement from my son and my friend, Sam, I signed up to compete again on November 8. I chose to put the pain of September behind me and press on. In so doing I had the best competition of my life, made some new friends, and moved forward. 

A New Year is a new opportunity to rise above the past and press forward! 

Pastor Bish