Being Late to the Race

I’m late, kind of a lot.  Like, perpetually late.  I’m late the way other people are early.  You might could even call it dependably late.

I like to tell myself that this is my “thing.”  You know how that one person you know has that thing that makes them that one person?  That’s their thing!  Take for example a person I know, let’s call them “Stan.”  Every time I’m in a conversation with Stan, you can depend on him to take a joke a little too far.  Stan is an uncomfortable person to be around sometimes, but we still hang out (there’s grace enough for people that take jokes too far).  Stan’s “thing” is taking jokes too far without thinking!

Well my thing is being late to stuff.  It’s usually not horrendously late to where plans have to be adjusted because of said lateness.  It’s usually not even outlandishly noticeable, say around 30 minutes.  I like to say I live my life 8 minutes behind schedule.  I don’t think it’s that bad, and besides it’s acceptable because it’s my thing!  Just to clarify here, I know it’s not cool to be late all the time.  I recognize that I am the embodiment of some peoples’ worst pet peeves.  I really try not to be late, but it always seems to get me.  I’ve come to accept it, and one of my friendship prerequisites is being able to accept my perpetual lateness.  It’s just a thing I have to deal with.

I was even late to the biggest thing of all in my life.  No, not my wedding (thankfully).  I was late to the starting line that God had painted for the race of my life.  We all have one, a race that God has laid out before us that we have been equipped to run and struggle through with the gifts and talents God has given us.  I was lining up for a race that God had not intended me to be in, and that made me late to the starting gate for the real race I was meant for.  A couple years late, in fact.  Years that could have been spent doing what I was meant to do.

But I was late to the starting gate, and I know I’m not the only one.  A lot of us have trouble figuring out the race we’re supposed to be running in life.  Some of us want to run a certain race, but we’re ill equipped for it.  It’s hard for a sprinter to win a long-distance race.  Some of us try our hardest to force ourselves into the race we see ourselves in, but it just brings about more turmoil and hurt than we intended.  Eventually we all find the race we’re supposed to be running, and when we do it becomes easy to keep going and to draw each heavy breath.

Even though we may be late to the starting line, God still calls you and me to our specific race.  Because you are the only person equipped just the way you are.  And if you are a little late, that’s okay.  The good thing about this race is that it doesn’t matter when you start, as long as you do.