Weekly Words

Sacrifice

On this past Saturday our church had the privilege of participating in the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5k walk. This was my first participation of a 5K of any kind. Somewhere between being convinced by one of our church members and being moved by my own pathetic sense of male ego, I decided to try to RUN the 5K. This was a bad idea for more than one reason. First, it had been some four months since I had done any running at all. Second, as I write this I can not recall ever running three miles straight at any point in my life.

Yet I wanted to run for several reasons. First, my own sexism made my manhood feel challenged because the member who convinced me to run was a young woman in our church who said she was running. Second, I felt that if I could run it I could reawaken the spirits of my old collegiate athletic self (those spirits sleep harder and harder as I get older and older). Third, and probably the only reason worth mentioning, I knew it would hurt. I guess in my own mind I thought it should hurt. I wanted to put my self, even if but for a few moments, through something painful to be in solidarity with the pain of the victims, survivors, and family members who have to live through the painful reality of Breast Cancer.

At the finish line there were people screaming, cheering and waving pompoms in the air to welcome those of us who walked and ran. As I crossed the finish line in pain and exhaustion, I welcomed all of the jubilant and enthusiastic support that complete strangers were willing to give me. Along with all the others, there was an old white lady standing alone in the middle of the finish line who was clapping and welcoming runners and walkers. When I approached her she looked at me and amidst all the yelling and screaming I heard her say, “thank you for doing this for me.” All of a sudden all the pain endured became exponentially more meaningful in my life. Emotions flooded my heart as I was touched by this woman’s gratitude and for a moment I truly felt that I had been used by God to touch someone’s life. This is what sacrifice should feel like. Jesus says that there is no greater love than when a person lays down their life for a friend. Now clearly I didn’t lay down my life, and you may not be ready to lay down yours. However, I did give the energies and efforts of my life, even if only for thirty or forty minutes for the benefit of someone else. Moreover, it deeply touched me to know that what I did touched that older lady. This is the beauty of sacrifice. Though one person sacrifices for another, both lives are enhanced through the mutual reward of making a difference or having a difference made. As you continue to live in love, put sacrifice somewhere on your personal agenda.

Humbly in Christ’s Love,
Pastor B.A. Jackson