When's it my turn?

That's the question I probably most often ask God.

When's it my turn?
When's it my turn to get married?
When's it my turn to have my own home and family?
When's it my turn to go to nursing school?
When's it my turn to become an actual, on-staff worship leader?
When's it my turn to get a new car?
When's it my turn to go to the beach?
When's it my turn to have some hard work actually pay off?
When's it my turn???

Now, don't get me wrong. Most of the time, I don't even mean to ask Him. I mean, I'm not purposely trying to be some bratty child of His. It just kind of spills out of my completely human (therefore sometimes dense) brain that is full of selfish wants, desires, thoughts, and pleas, which God just so happens to have complete viewing access to. At least I'm not intentionally being selfish, right?

Wrong.

Just as a runner trains to run an important race, we must train ourselves to run this race: life. We must train ourselves to get a turn at being all that God designed for us to be. If you want to be great, train greatly. 

1 Timothy 4:7-8 says "Train yourself to be godly. Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come."

 If I wanted to run longer distances, I would train harder. So, in order to train myself to think less selfishly and more like Christ, that means training harder. Training means diving into the Word as far and as often as I possibly can, so that it becomes more and more alive in me, branching out and becoming one with my own thoughts, making them pure and holy in God's sight. 

I have to daily lay down my pride, ask God to help me surrender my own design, and pray constantly so that I may be in stride with the Holy Spirit. It isn't easy. A lot of times I mess it up. A lot of times I get behind in the race. A lot of times I slow down. But I always keep running. 

God is saying to me (and to you!), it is your turn. It's your turn to show grace where there has been none. It's your turn to be kind in the face of anger and adversity. It's your turn to prove that love is real, love is near, and love is free to all, because I have paid the price. I have cancelled the debt. I have made all things new. I have granted everyone a chance, a turn at knowing and being love. Your turn began the day you were born. Go. Be my hands and my feet. It's your turn. 

I don't want to miss my turn. I hope you don't want to either, and I hope that you are encouraged today so that when you feel like asking, "When's it my turn?" instead, you can train harder, love deeper, and know Him better. My purpose in this life is not to get married, become a nurse, a worship leader, or even a mother. Yes, I believe that God designed me for those things. I even believe that God called me to those things. My true purpose, though, is to reflect my Creator, to always point back to Him both when I am scrutinized and when I am praised.

The best part is that we've already won the trophy. We've already been granted eternal life. Now we can run the race with no fear of failure or stress of defeat riding on our shoulders. Don't allow already having the prize to make you lazy. Use it as motivation to get other people to join the race. Anyone can run— no matter their gender, color, sexuality, background, past mistakes. No matter who they are, what they've done, or what's been done to them, they are invited too. It's their turn too.

Have faith.
Be encouraged.
Train harder.

It's your turn.