Never a Companion, Just an Old Friend

When I was a kid we had this program sort of like scouting, at both school and church, in which we mastered various tasks, memorized Bible verses, earned honor badges, and so on. The first level, corresponding to first grade, was labeled "Busy Bee." Second graders earned their "Sunbeam" level badge, and the next year was "Builder," then "Helping Hand," then "Friend."

In fifth grade the level was titled "Companion." This is when I met my nemesis: the shuttle run. In order to pass the physical tasks to earn my Companion designation, as I recall, I had to do the shuttle run in 11.7 seconds. My teacher marked out the course, and we brought out the blackboard erasers to serve as the pieces we were to carry back to the baseline.

Recess after recess I tried to make the shuttle run in time to earn my checkoff on the card. "Run, Ginger, don't jog!" my teacher called as I was running flat out as fast as I could. I'd try to push myself that little bit further and faster, but it just didn't work. I couldn't make it.

And I never did. It was just beyond my ability to run that shuttle run in the required time. It was then and there that I lost my interest in continuing with the requirements of the program. Without the shuttle run I couldn't advance, and since I was unable to meet the requirements of the shuttle run, why should I try to finish any of the other requirements? And thus my dream of achieving the highest level in the system, "Master Guide," never came to be. I remain an old Friend.

It was a strong message to me about my own physical competence.

I was meditation on spiritual competence this morning as I read in Psalm 147. His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, the psalm goes, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. (Ps. 147:10-11)

What I treasure is the fact that spiritual competence is not out of the reach of anyone. Not anyone! God's request of us is something we all have the capability of doing: fear him, and put our hope in his love.

Fearing God, according to my study Bible notes, means an effort to trust and obey Him. I personally believe that obedience refers to our intent or effort. God is pictured in the Bible as a father; a father who really loves his kid is going to see the effort to obey as being the fulfillment of obedience. In fact, trusting perfectly is about as far beyond our ability as is obeying perfectly. But to a parent, a child's sincere intent and effort does the trick.

Then there's hope. The verse in Psalm 147 says that God delights in those who fear him, and who put their hope in his unfailing love. Hope doesn't mean we're sure; it means hope. As in, "I don't really understand this world, but I hope it works in a particular way, and I will proceed on the assumption that my hope is correct."

Do we all have the ability to be competent in fear and hope? I believe so. While I may have stalled a being a successful "Friend" but not a "Companion," the more important competencies in life are within reach. And because of that, I never have to give up on "pressing on toward the prize."