My family and I went to the Green Bay Packers stadium recently. I am not an American football fan but I thought it would be a cultural experience for our kids during our year of home assignment in the States. I actually enjoyed the tour more than I thought I would. The stadium was huge! It looked so much bigger from the highest row than it did from the field. My favorite part was when the guide had us walk out of the tunnel where the players enter the field on game day. They even had a recording of fans cheering as we walked out! I wanted to start running and enter the field like I was a 140-kilogram football player, but I remained calm and walked out with the rest of the group and kept my excitement to a socially acceptable level. (lol)

This image of the Packer’s stadium came to my mind again today when I was thinking about Hebrews 12:1, 2a“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 faith.” 

When I was standing on the football field, surrounded by enough seats for 81,441 people, I imagined the excitement of the players to be on that field and cheered on by so many people! Hebrews 12 paints a similar picture for us. “Since we are surrounded by such a cloud of witnesses”. Moses, Abraham, Daniel, Ruth, Esther, Amos, Peter, Matthew, Paul and thousands of other believers have run their race! They ran with endurance the race that God planned for them. They lived out their God-given purpose. Their race on earth is over. Now is our turn. Now is our one chance to run with perseverance the race marked out for us! And we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, more believers than could fit in that football stadium! Let us be encouraged by their example and motivated by their endurance and let us run well - fixing our eyes on Jesus! He is the reason why we run. He will sustain us and He is cheering us on. We are on the winning side! Run well, sisters! And when He calls us home and decides our race is over, may we hear “Well done, good and faithful servant.”