Time Is Running Out
Running to stand still again. Speeding up the pace. From 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, then adjust to take it to 3.0. Settling into my pace and stride on the treadmill. Walking on a treadmill along with a number of others this morning at Gold’s Gym. Focused on not becoming part of one of those funny videos on Instagram or TikTok where someone catches someone losing their balance and falls off the treadmill.
I’m listening to NF. Nate Feuerstein. He is a Christian rapper. Mansion is playing. Music brings me great comfort and joy, from classical, contemporary, country, rock, and jazz. The lyrics are real and impactful. NF is a great rapper and certainly knows about coping, fear and suffering.
This morning I have been texting with a few friends; and see a response from one of them and type back. First a several word response. Holding my iphone away from my face and squinting but that doesn’t help, I delete all but one word, since not wearing glasses can be dangerous. Time is flying by this morning as 30 minutes has gone by. Good news, haven’t fallen off yet and I’m holding steady at a 3.0; but a few people are looking at me strangely wondering why this guy was holding his phone at arms length.
There are 8 flat screen TV’s in front of the 15 treadmills stretched across the main room. The TV’s are all playing one of the following non-stop: a Gold’s Gym video, CNN News and Fox News. The Gold’s gym video is pretty funny. There are people doing seemingly impossible athletic things showing off their amazing balance and fitness. I’m not in the video.
On one of the news channels I see something that makes me laugh. There appears to be a caged fight between Mark Zuckenburg and Elon Musk that they are discussing. Dana White, the owner of UFC, looks as though they are serious that the caged fight could occur. Then the news moves on to politics which brings us all such joy (sorry being facetious). It appears that the Governor of Florida is in California campaigning for the presidency and is roasting the current governor of California. The disdain and conflict within a party for making the other person look bad certainly comes out even more when the person is in an opposing party. So much for loving your neighbors and loving your enemies. Perhaps in politics that doesn’t apply? Or maybe even in politics and life?
Then on both CNN and Fox News, they each are giving an update on the story I heard Wednesday for the first time. A sub with 5 passengers on board had set out to explore the Titanic wreckage and since Sunday has been missing. They were headed deep below in the ocean where only a few people have ever gone and experienced. I’m still listening to NF and just seeing what the screens are showing. The five are running out of air. There hasn’t been any contact with them for several days. Doctors and other experts are explaining that you have to have air to breath. And that when you are out of oxygen in the space you dwell you are in trouble. Do they not think we know that? Some of you reading this have experienced not being able to breathe. It is not a good feeling. It definitely is unnerving, stressful and creates a lot of fear. Underwater, in a sub, under pressure, knowing that it is running out of air would be terrifying. I prayed for them.
The news media exists to create fear. It is why people watch it and also I have been glued to the screen before. As though we don’t have enough going on in our lives or already know about; they want us to know about the fears other people are enduring, experiencing, or that may never even happen. The news wants us to look to them for hope and truth. They want us to listen to their voices rather than learn for ourselves and seek to understand the truth. Remember when the news was the news and they just shared news plain and simple with no agendas?
Several hours later, after my workout, conference call, and lunch; I started writing this piece. There has been a news update. The passengers are reported as having died. The company that owns and operates the sub said “They Have Sadly Been Lost.’ Their families and loved ones are devastated. The company, their employees, the Coast Guard, and everyone involved must be exhausted and are grieving. I say another prayer for them, and their families.
The five people were true explorers. It is reported that they had an extreme love for the ocean and protecting it. They were searchers. They had the means and the opportunity to do something most of us will never experience. They may not have known God but God knew them. God bless them, their families and loved ones.
We are all explorers. We are all searching. We are all lost in one way or another. I love exploring and have explored all my life. As a little kid I was a digger and discovered an old dumping ground by the creek behind our house in “Buckhead” outside of Atlanta, GA. I still have many of these bottles that date back to the early 1900s. My sister, thank goodness, put up with her 3 year younger brother, when we would go exploring around our neighborhood woods. We named the various lands we discovered, Bottle Land, Monkey Land and Army Land, as if we were some kind of royalty in our make-believe kingdom. Monkey Land is the only place that needs some explaining. We never saw a monkey but we imagined one might show up some day. Monkey Land was covered in Kudzu. Which is an invasive fast growing vine that is in Georgia that made up the land we titled Monkey Land. In the summer months it grew rapidly and extremely dense. The vines can grow to 4” in diameter upward into the canopy of the trees, the perfect place to play and that monkeys would enjoy. Pretty certain we were the only “monkeys” that played there.
The world is attractive and beautiful. It is like an addictive drug. It will bind us up where we are so busy and worried that major portions of our life pass by leaving us wondering what happened. Time goes by fast but it really goes fast when the world has its fangs in us. We can feel like we are lost and out of control. The explorer in us sets on a path searching. We search for knowledge, money, wisdom, love, companionship, family, fairness, adventure, truth and faith. The list is incomplete but may resonate with the readers. If we would move truth and faith earlier in our assimilation of information and emotions, it would help our hearts and minds with the others. It is because of our fears! Our fears for not being successful. Our fears for not being loved. Our fears of feeling stupid. Our fears for not having a family. Our fears for not being able to do things that others do. Our fears of being around people. Our fears for not fitting in and being different. Our fears of dying.
When the fear of the Lord is the beginning and foundation of our knowledge we can have a peace that the world promises but God actually provides. Search for the truth. Not the truth that we make for ourselves; but the truth, knowledge and peace that comes from knowing Jesus and what he did for us. Jesus died for all of our sins. Old sins, current sins and future sins. He rose from the grave three days later and was seen by others before returning to his father God. Without Jesus we are lost but with Jesus we know the way, the truth and the life; and through him we have a way to God. With Jesus we are not lost in the abyss for eternity. This doesn’t mean it will be easy or that we will not be fearful when we face challenges, difficulties or loss. Rather with our focus on things above, eternal things, things that are not seen that require faith, that we have the hope and peace in believing.
God created the oceans. He created all things and He did it in 6 days. God created the intelligence and science to be able to explore the earth and into the vastness of the space and the depths of the ocean never before believed possible. What people are able to accomplish is amazing. People are always working. God is always working.
The news doesn't control us. People don’t control us. Political parties or their leaders don’t control us. Nations don’t control us. Religions don’t control us. Only God is in control. He holds the reins in his hands. He changes times and seasons. He sets up kings and removes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals the deep and hidden things. He knows what is in the darkness and the light dwells with him.
Pray that the sub explorers experienced a peace as their time on this earth came to an end. Pray that they believed, knew Jesus, his story and the way. Pray for their loved ones and families that they are comforted and have peace. Pray that many others come to believe and know Jesus.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Patrick Price