Atop the shelves surrounding my office are numerous 8×10 pictures. There is a picture of my family from a wedding when our children were little. There is a picture of my daughter dancing to a song I had composed and performed along with her at her dance recital. There is a picture of my son rocking out on a drum set before he could even form a full sentence. There are three pictures of amazing men whom I had the privilege of mentoring and learning from as they pursued their calling as ministers of the gospel. There are numerous pictures containing hundreds of teenagers and adults, from dozens of churches, with whom I’ve had the privilege of serving on mission trips over the years. I like to think of all of these images as my own great cloud of witnesses.
The great cloud of witnesses on my shelves reminds me of the goodness and faithfulness of God through the proverbial miles that lie behind.
Hebrews 12:1-2 reads, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith…”. The author is drawing attention back to what is often called The Hall of Faith found in the preceding chapter of Hebrews. It is a list of great men and women of faith who serve as witnesses to the faithfulness of God through all of the successes and struggles of life. This great cloud of witnesses doesn’t serve as passive observers. Rather, they serve as co-participants, providing inspiring examples and spiritual assistance as we too attempt to faithfully run the race of faith.
The great cloud of witnesses on my shelves reminds me of the goodness and faithfulness of God through the proverbial miles that lie behind. They remind me that from great hardships and heartaches, God brought about great happiness and healing. They remind me that God consistently takes the meager resources and abilities we have to offer and uses them to accomplish great things in and through us when we faithfully seek and serve Him together. And, perhaps most importantly, they remind me that I have never done it alone. To quote the Beatles, “I get by with (more than a little) help from my friends.” Every step of the way, God has surrounded me by amazing people who have challenged, encouraged, and assisted me. Pushing, pulling, and many times carrying me to the prizes that now adorn my office.
Every step of the way, God has surrounded me by amazing people who have challenged, encouraged, and assisted me.
I confess that my heart has been heavy in recent days. I find myself entering new seasons both personally and professionally. All that is coming is natural and, in many ways, good, but it is also unknown and uncomfortable. But, I’ve traversed shadowed valleys before. Some of the pictures surrounding me were taken in seasons of struggle and uncertainty. Each of them now witnesses to the reality that the good God that brought me through won’t abandon me now. Each of them reminds me that I continue to be surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses in this moment who will continue to seek and serve Jesus with me through whatever lies ahead.
Your great cloud of witnesses is different than mine, but I assure you it exists. Take stock of the good people that surround you; the ones who show up, offer support and love, and walk the extra mile with you. Lean in and let them hold you up and help you on your way as you do the same for them. Life can be hard and sometimes it hurts. But if you look around, you’ll realize there are helping hands reaching out offering assistance and encouraging you to keep going as their presence witnesses to God’s goodness and inspires faith to face another day.
