Chaplain's Corner!

At the end of the last article I asked the question, "What is the reason we love the track?" We have established the fact that it "costs", we adhere to it, we meditate about it and we work hard to perform well on it. To go on and answer the "why" question, I stated it offers a needed fulfillment. The need fulfilled through the challenge of competition is to "conquer". It probably is a quality God created in us so we would feed our families through farming or hunting. And I would add, this is a characteristic attributed mainly to men, But today women have learned to fend for themselves and enjoy competition - my daughter is one of those.

There is also satisfaction found in the fellowship we have at the track. One of my greatest racing joys is to go out for practice with three of my buddies to play "follow the fastest" and see who is doing what right. From that we compare set-ups and make changes toward improving our lap times. We are comrades together in purpose, to help one another towards a goal. The entire racing community at the track is one of a big family. We share, we give, we love and rally together for the one in need. A corner worker, observing this fellowship, recently commented "you people really care about each other."

I could write a book about all the joys of racing. Just to mention a few more, there's the mechanical challenges, engineering, inventions, and the beauty we see in our machines in body work and detailing. So let's go on to apply this to our relationship to God.

Let me first say the love for the track is neither sinful or wrong as long as it is kept in proper perspective. God has made us in His image to conquer, to accomplish goals and to be productive, for fellowship and to love beauty. God has placed within us a desire to be fulfilled, but His will is that we find true fulfillment in Him. Jesus said in John 10:10, "I have come so that they may have life, and have it to the full." If all we have is the love for the track we will never find true fulfillment, only a shallow substitute.

Over thirty years ago I left kart racing for a new love. That's when Jesus became my Lord and Savior. I was like a piece of metal being drawn by a magnet to a different joy. Now I am back in racing with the purpose of pointing others to Him. Christians are called to be ambassadors, here to represent the Kingdom of God (2 Corinthians 5:20). Jesus teaches earlier in John 10 that he calls his sheep by name and they follow Him. We are His sheep and He is the shepherd and offers us a relationship with Himself and a fulfilling way of life by leading us. He also says, "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture." To a sheep, green pasture is all that matters and as a human, hearing Jesus' voice calling us by name can't be beat. If you hear His voice today, don't harden your heart. Call out "save me from my sin and this empty way of life. Put my name in your book of life. Please redesign me to love your race track for my life."

Chaplain Ken