HOPE FOR THE HOMESTRETCH

Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.  And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.  Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” (Luke 1:39-45)

Here is a picture of California Chrome beginning his journey to horse racing’s most coveted honor—The Triple Crown.  There has not been a horse that has won all three prestigious races: the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes since Affirmed did in 1978.  But California Chrome can join that elite group this Saturday if he wins the Belmont. 

It is not always the fastest horse out of the gate that wins, nor the one leading at the halfway point, not even at the last turn.  It is the homestretch that makes the difference—as the wide-eyed horse, with nostrils flaring, hooves pounding, flanks lathered with sweat, and the jockey urging the steed on to the finish where the winner is determined. 

All of us will come to the homestretch of our earthly race, but unlike a horse race, we just don’t know the length until we reach the finish line.  Before California Chrome finishes his race at the end of this week, you or I could be at the end of life’s race.  We may be in the homestretch now. 

How do we finish well?  We must run with hope like the two women in our text.  This week we will consider a young lady named Mary and an elderly woman named Elizabeth—both on the way to becoming mothers whose sons will impact the world, and both who will run their race and end as winners.  Their example is a challenge to all of us to race on with hope for the homestretch!