Sign Me Up for the Draft….

COVID-19 has brought about changes in the way we “do life” on a daily basis. Some of the changes have actually been really, really good. Because of the limitations on spacing and gathering, I’ve not been to the gym in several weeks. However, because I have not successfully been socially distanced from my refrigerator, I need to be doing SOME type of physical activity.

Today, my husband and I headed out for a bike ride. Because of work and family schedules, my bike has been hanging in our garage for about 11 months awaiting a chance to hit the road. The weather was perfect and, with the reduction in traffic, it’s not so frightening to head out on the roads.

As we got rolling out on our hilly adventure, I told my husband that I would be riding slow and just hoping to survive. He laughed…..but i really wasn’t kidding. Hills are hard. (Especially when you’re not in the shape you have been when riding these hills in previous years. 😊) As we began heading up the first small incline leaving the back of our neighborhood, I quickly realized that we (or I) faced another challenge: WIND. The good thing about riding a hill is that you know you’ll eventually reach the top and be rewarded with a downhill. With wind….there are no guarantees.

We rode up and down several hills and, after about 7.5 miles, we reached some level ground. At that time, I got as close to my husband’s back wheel as possible to allow him to take some of the wind off of me. This is known as “drafting.” My good friend, Merriam Webster, defines this verb as “to stay close behind (another racer) so as to take advantage of the reduced air pressure created by the leading racer.” Honestly, its a beautiful picture of teamwork. One rider gets in the front to “pull” or take the heavy load for a period of time while the other riders align behind him/her to benefit from the draft…..the reduction in air pressure for a period of time. The lead rider will peel off towards the back and then allows another rider with fresher legs to come to the front and “pull” for a while. Efficiency is increased. Each rider is grateful for the strength of the others because there’s no way one person can pull the entire time.

In Luke 5:17-20, we get a picture of the drafting concept in a different way. Jesus was healing people. Can you imagine the crowds? Whether it’s been from this pandemic virus, a skin disorder, cancer, joint pain, visual challenges, infertility, etc., we understand how packed that town must have been with everyone wanting a chance to be healed. On the outskirts of the crowd, however, were five unnamed men. One was a paralytic who had nothing but a mat…..and four friends who “happened” to be with him. Although the paralytic DESPERATELY wanted to be the recipient of healing, there was no way for him to get there on his own. The concept of “the draft” was in full force here. The four friends picked up a corner of the paralytic’s mat and carried him – through the masses, the noise, the distractions – to the house where Jesus was. They were pulling the weight for their friend.

Once they arrived, they knew there was no way to get in the front door. Instead, they worked around to the side of the house, climbed atop the roof, cut a hole in the roof and lowered their friend down. Scripture tells us that “when Jesus saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.’” (Luke 5:20) When Jesus saw the faith of the FRIENDS…..the ones who carried the paralytic for a period of time…..He told the paralytic that HIS sins were forgiven. (Read on through verse 26 for the rest of the story.)

What an important lesson to take away from this passage. There will be times when you are the strong friends “carrying the mat” of others. There will be times when you are the one on the mat being carried when your strength, your faith, or your resolve is depleted. Verse 20 tells us that MY FAITH matters to YOU and YOUR FAITH matters to ME. Sometimes you pull…..sometimes you draft…..but both of those circumstances present an opportunity for Jesus to do something incredible.

I have no doubt that the prayers of some women who taught VBS at a church around the corner from our house in Cleveland, Ohio were some of the carriers in my life. Their strength and faith paved the way for my salvation…..and I wish I could have had the privilege of seeing their faces when Jesus, because of THEIR faith, told me that MY SINS were forgiven. I’ll never be the same.

Drafting? It works on the road. It works in our relationship with Jesus. SIGN ME UP!