Scripture: Hebrews 2:16 (NRSV) – “For it is clear that he (Jesus) did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham.”

Message: Growing up in a culture devoted to “Self” my natural tendency is to focus on my ability to conquer life as it comes to me. In October 2007, I ran my first marathon, the Marine Corp Marathon. I trained with a group for a year to get ready, but I was the only one to run this particular marathon that year. Members of my family accompanied me to Washington D.C., but I was alone as I stood at the start line with 30,000 participants. The race went well and, at mile 8, a woman asked if she could run with me. I gladly accepted the company. At mile 18, I experienced runner’s onset asthma. I could not breathe deeply. The woman running with me, who happened to be a Marine, noticed my distress and started singing cadence. The song refocused my attention and I was able to finish the race. I even completed the race before the required maximum time of 6 hours.

Without that woman I am sure I would not have been able to finish the race. I realized later that Jesus had come to help me before I even knew I needed help, and that He showed up in the form of a human being.

Prayer: Father, help us to remember that You came to suffer what You suffered so that You could help us in this earthly journey of testing. Turn our focus toward You so that we might hear the song of Your cadence. Amen.

Patricia Roberts-Orlando
(first published in 2016)

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