From The Pastor’s Pen – By Brian Horrobin
Do you remember that severe cold weather we had towards the end of January earlier this year?
There were warnings from The Weather Network about risks of frostbite and other dangers and people were advised to stay indoors as much as possible.
Well, my daughter, Beth, asked me two months prior to that time to sign up and run a 16 km race with her in Port Huron, Michigan.
Temps were in the -20°C range, with wind chill making it feel even worse.
I wanted to back out in the worst way.
I had what many call “buyer’s remorse”, that feeling you get when you’ve made a purchase but regret the decision because it’s not what you thought it would be or something better came along.
My daughter, Tori, calls this “regretty spaghetti.”
Either way, it’s a spot you don’t relish being in.
As it turned out, the 16 km race got cancelled due to the severe conditions but they offered runners the chance to either defer to the following year or take on the 10 km race instead.
I thought Beth would want to defer but she had already booked off work so wanted to do the 10 km race.
Argh!
I had a decision to make but in reality, my mind was already made up.
I remembered what the Bible said in Psalm 15:4 about those who are followers of the Lord, that they “keep their promises even when it hurts.”
We live in a world where people often do not keep their word, and such actions erode trust and ruin relationships.
Let’s endeavour to swim against the current of popular opinion and do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do.
That’s called integrity and that’s what God wants!
As it turned out, we had a great time at this race, even with the -21°C temperature!
