Don’t know about you; but for me, at my hardest life’s races, only God carrying me gets me across the finish line. Being an over the hill, ex-professional athlete, my greatest triumphs were not gliding with ease across the slippery slopes but the many times I crawled into God’s arms, and He generated my pursuit of melting a world too often crusted in ice. At such moments, my perception of God might not have been Biblically based, but I truly felt God shaking His head while His smile transmitted understanding, acceptance and support.
Simply stated, I did then, and do now, fully believe and proclaim God really does suit up for the game. In other words, God loves me (and you) enough to take off His heavenly robe and don work clothes to join me, and carry me, as I attempt to merit heaven’s trophy. For me, feeling God by my side doesn’t just bring God closer to me. It brings me closer to God.
Too often, children of God are taught God sits in heaven wearing a flowy, majestic robe judging us and scoring whether we merit His award. However, maybe what the young, old and in between truly need to know, and believe, is that God, out of love, substitutes His regal robe for whatever attire we wear as we face off to life’s races. God always meets us where we are and carries us to where He yearns and needs us to be. God does not sit in heaven in glorious clothes while we labor below to win both earth’s nightmares and heaven’s dreams. He joins us where we are, and He comes dressed for our challenges.
God, pictured in work out attire, is not meant to be disrespectful or a far out image. Rather, it’s a close up view of our God meeting us wherever we are and fully equipped to go the distance with, and for, us. One last vision I’d like to share. While I, on earth, picture God in work out attire, I’d bet my bottom dollar, God sits in heaven and pictures both you and me someday wearing a celestial robe.
Uplifted in a Broken Down World 