Craig Clouston

 

Ready To Live!

July 31

For in him we live and move and have our being.

Acts 17:28

Stran Smith is a professional rodeo rider. His passion is steer-roping…jumping off his horse at 25mph!

Stran had been riding the circuit for seven years, when one day he exhibited alarming medical symptoms and was transported to the local hospital, where doctors discovered he’d had a stroke. Further testing revealed a hole between two chambers of Stran’s heart; a condition known as ‘PFO’ had led to the blood clot in his brain.

Faced with choosing between a risk-filled experimental surgery to repair the hole, or lead a sedentary life—where watering his grass was the limit of his physical exertion, and rodeoing was no longer an option—Stran and his wife, Jennifer, spent a great deal of time in prayer, seeking God’s direction.

Ultimately, they opted for surgery, which was a remarkable success. Stran, now healthier than he’d ever been, returned to the rodeo circuit within two months of the procedure. When asked what the biggest lesson of his experience had been, Stran commented, “Until I was ready to die, I wasn’t ready to live.”

Stran credits his professional rodeo status to blood, sweat, and God’s guidance through his relationship with Jesus Christ.

†

Faced with a crisis of faith, we must decide whether we want to hang up our saddle, becoming a reluctant spectator in a full-contact arena, or trust God to fully and faithfully live through us in the time we have left.

In Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection we have the ability to die to ourselves daily, preparing the way for God to resurrect us each morning through our relationship with Jesus Christ, under the power of the Holy Spirit. Our deliberate dying-to-self leaves the door open for God to do miraculous things with and through us. By intentionally facing death, finding our purpose and being in Jesus Christ, we become ready to live!

Prayer

“I want to live today, Lord! But it’s so hard to lay down my own desires each day. I want the benefits of having You in control, but sometimes my wants get in the way. Show me how to humbly listen and await Your instruction at the beginning of each day as I spend this time with You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”