I was sitting with my mom in her doctor’s office yesterday afternoon and shuffled through some magazines to find something to read (you know how doctor’s office waiting goes).  I settled on Sports Illustrated.  It looked a little worn, and when I looked at the date, I saw it was from December of 2012.  Interesting….  As I went through that 5 1/2 year-old edition, I read about athletes who were excelling in each one’s particular sport and position.  From college to the NBA to the NFL, they were the best or at least heading to be the next big superstar.  While a few of those featured in that issue are still around and doing well in 2018, many of them are completely off today’s radar.  For some it’s simply because age caught up, they had to accept that fact, and they gracefully stepped aside.  For others, they couldn’t live up to the pressure of the expectations; then some simply made poor choices and squandered their opportunities to succeed.  I enjoyed looking back at those athletes and reading those accolades, knowing now what at that time was their future.  But then I got to thinking.  Say someone were to write a feature article about me today, discussing and analyzing what I’m doing for the Lord and what my plans are in God’s will for the years to come.  And then say someone picked up that article several years down the road, knowing then what for now is my future.  How would I stack up?  Would they be able to see someone who finished well?  Or would they see someone who started well and then fizzled?  Or maybe someone who ended up making poor choices and wasting opportunities for God?  Would they shake their heads and think, “What happened?”  Thinking about that made me stop and take stock.  And it reminded me of my need to rely on my Lord to give me the grace, not just to do well, but to finish well.  To one day be able to say with the Apostle Paul, “I have fought…I have finished…I have kept….”  Lord, keep me true!