>> ANGELA THOMAS: It is so great to be with
you. It's so fun to come check on my boy. Hey honey. Dorm 17, second floor. I feel like you're all — you all belong
to me so sit still for just a minute. My son Grayson's over there but he also has
two sisters, a brother, and a newly welcomed son that we're gonna take into the family
from South Africa and so it's fun to hang out with him. It's been fun to watch God work in the lives
of my children. A few years ago, I was invited to go with
his older sister. The art teacher at her school was going to
take a bunch of students to London and Paris. I said "Sure, I'll be a parent chaperone for
that.” Except it was January in London and Paris
and I'm a traveler, I — that’s what I do. I, I don't know why travel doesn't make me
mad, it's not frustrating to me, it doesn't wear me out. For some reason, God gave me a grace for it
and so when I tell you that when I took that trip to London and Paris with those high school
students, it was the worst trip of my whole entire life, you can believe me. It was bad. It was one of those trips where you're freezing
cold the whole time, it's spitting snow and rain, and, and the place we stayed in there
in London, it was like a hostel outside a town. You know, however many bus rides you had to
take to get there and, and I knew we were kind of off on the bad foot when we get into
the hostel and there's a cross-dressing party in the lobby and I'm thinking "I don't know
how this is gonna go with the kids.” And we started with that and then moved on. To a trip where every time we got to a bus
station that was shut down or the train was shut down or, or it just wasn't working that
day. We finally got to Paris and you know it was
an awful trip when you can remember the details. And I can remember that it was a Tuesday and
we got up in this cold weather in Paris. We were gonna go to the Louvre, to see the
Mona Lisa. I was thrilled. Our little tour guide — I don't know how
she got her job — but our little tour guide — I’m sure she's really sweet but anyway,
she took us, she took us by several metro stops over to the Louvre and, and I thought
well it's kind of interesting. There, there doesn't seem to be anyone here. Maybe we're the only people who wanted to
see the Mona Lisa today. And so, she said Just wait here. I'll go get our tickets.” And, and almost an hour later she came back
and said they're closed. I'm, I'm thinking maybe, you know, someone
should have called ahead, I don't know, you know. We've got a whole high school bunch of students
and we're closed. I'm wondering what are we gonna do? It's freezing, the wind is blowing like crazy
there. It is January, we're standing outside the
Louvre. She decides, we'll go over to the Champs-Élysées. I don't know if you've ever been to Paris
but the Champs-Élysées is where the most expensive shopping in the world is. I had the high school kids. They, they don't let you in the store when
you look like we looked and so, we just stood outside. And, and I had a bunch of kids. The rain starts to pour, it's pouring, it's
pouring and, and I decided we have to figure out a way to go to the end of this thing to
see the Arc de Triomphe. We put our umbrellas up and we bend ourselves
into the, into the wind and we walked — not kidding — like this. Up the whole entire street until we get there. The wind is all — and I said to the kids
look up. And they looked up from under their umbrellas. I say can you see it? They said yes. I said take a picture. They took a picture of the Arc de Triomphe
and I said let's go inside, and we turned and everyone's umbrella, umph! We waited inside some little cafe with hot
chocolate until the tour guide said "next.” And so, she had this great idea that in that
weather — we later found out, there were hurricane force winds in Paris that day, two
people died in that weather that day. I am so sad to say she decided we would go
to the Eiffel Tower. Of course, when we get to the Eiffel Tower,
it is nothing like anyone has ever dreamed it would be when you get to the Eiffel Tower. I'm thinking crepes and strolling violinists
and berets and all that. And there was nothing. Because the Parisians were smart, they were
inside. We were the only people there. And so, I thought well here we are. And this is awful, but someone said are we
going up? I thought no, we're not. The tour guide checked and lo and behold,
they were open. You're kidding. We, we can't do this y'all. They bought the tickets and, and maybe you
know this, the elevator at the Eiffel Tower is on the outside, it's on a cable and, and
so, they put us in this elevator. My daughter Taylor is standing in front of
me. As we begin to rise in the elevator, these
hurricane force winds are blowing the elevator. And she puts her head in my chest and she
says "Mom, this is like the Tower of Terror.” Well they finally — the doors open and we
blow out, and I am not kidding you, the entire Eiffel Tower is doing this. The winds are, the winds are — all the signs
are like ee, ee, ee, ee, ee. Bless God, there was a gift shop. And we just went in there and stood in the
gift shop until they said we could leave. It was the craziest, scariest — I’m telling
the kids don't look over. Don't touch that. Don't get a—ah! Finally, we get down. We, we, we walk to the next subway stop. We are — each one of us, soaked. Like the socks inside your boots are soaking
wet. It's awful. We had been up in the Tower of Terror. And when we get onto the metro, I'm standing
there with some of the teachers and other parents, and we're looking at each other like
what in the world did we just do? And, and then we — we’re, we're asking
ourselves, you know, that was dangerous. And these are other people's children. Why did we take them up there? Why did we do that? I mean, we're just really beating ourselves
up. Like that was maybe the dumbest thing we'd
ever done. But then one of the moms said "But you know
what, for, for most all these kids, today is the only day they will ever see the Eiffel
Tower.” And we started thinking about it and we were
like yeah. Today was the day. Probably in a lifetime, just one shot to see
the Eiffel Tower. Then we started feeling all brave and everything
and we're like "yeah. You know, we just had one shot, we went up
in that baby, yeah.” I got back to my hotel room that night and
I finally got warm and I was under the covers and I began to, you know, write about what
happened that day. I'm talking to the Lord about what we had
done that day and how scary it was for all of us and how miserable we had been all day
and the truth of it. Down deep in my heart, I can tell you that
if it had just been me, I would have been in my room reading a book that night, not
out in the Eiffel Tower. And then I knew that the Lord spoke to me. He said to me this affirmation. When I was remembering most of those kids
will only see the Eiffel Tower one time, the Lord said you only get one time too. Just one lifetime Angela. That's all you — that’s all it is. How are you gonna live it? Are you gonna hide out in your room? Are you gonna, are you gonna run and steal
away just cause the wind's blowing a little bit? Just cause it's raining — how are you gonna
live this one lifetime? I can tell you this, a long time ago, I knew
that, that God called me to Himself and I did what a lot of you are doing. I went to school and I studied and I learned
and, and when I, one day, arrived at this place, it was settled. Angela, do you believe that Jesus is the Son
of God? I do. Do you believe God is the Creator of Heaven
and earth and He is sovereign? That, that He has taken — He takes away
the sins of the world? I do. Do you believe that when you belong to Christ,
He sends the Holy Spirit to live inside of you? He seals you on this earth for now and for
all eternity? I do. You gonna stake your life on it? Oh… A day came when I said yes. I'm gonna stake my life on — this one lifetime. This one opportunity. I'm gonna, I'm gonna stake it all on the truth
of Jesus Christ. I'm just gonna — wide open. And if there's a passage of Scripture that
guides me in that, how I want to live this one lifetime it would be Hebrews chapter 12. Just the first two verses. I know that most of you know it but I just
want to camp out here for a few minutes. The writer of Hebrews, he opens up in this
12th chapter and he says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of
witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and, and the sin that so easily entangles,
and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let our — let us fix our eyes on Jesus,
the author and perfector of our faith. Who, for the joy set before Him, endured the
cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God.” And these two verses, they're, they're so
powerful in shaping, for me, how I want to live this one life. You remember Ephesians chapter four, verse
one says that "we are, we are supposed to live a life worthy of the calling we have
received.” I, I have been called into the Kingdom of
God and, and I want to live worthy of that. And according to this passage, the writers
in this very first phrasing says that "we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.” Well he's, he's speaking to the readers in
his time. He's, he's beginning with them but the Word
reaches out to us this very morning. You see, he, he's referring back to Hebrews
11. Some of you know it as the faith hall of fame. Those who have come before us. Who had such a great faith. The writer of Hebrews talks about Noah and
Moses and Abraham and David. And in Hebrews 11, we have this hall of faith
that has come before us and then the writer goes on to say, but there was a better faith. There was a perfected faith and He came before
us, His name is Jesus. And when — and so the witnesses who have
come before us, they surround us. And then this very day, there are those who
have come before you, they surround you too. They surround you in spirit, they surround
you in love. They're, they're the godly people who are
lifting you up at this campus. They're those parents back home, praying their
guts out for you night and day. Oh Lord, help 'em stay in class, every day. There are a cloud of witnesses around you. And the writer says, "because there is a cloud
of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders.” The wording is intentional there. There's no gentleness about this. There's no oh, when you get around to it. Just, you know, throw — put down some of
the things that hinder you from running toward the Lord, from living a passionate life for
the Lord God. When, whenever you get around to it. The wording is intentional by the writer,
he says "throw it off! Anything that hinders you. I don't know what hinders you. I know some of the things that have hindered
me. Some of the things that keep you from living
the life that you know God has called you to live. And I, I know that sometimes I have held onto
an unforgiveness too long. And that baby just weighs you down. I have held onto a bitterness. I imagine for many of you, I mean, you probably
have a lot of reasons to allow yourself to sit in some bitterness about the way things
have turned out for you. About how hard things have been. About the wounds that you have known. About how difficult things are. I mean, I understand life can be very tragic. Some of you know my story. You know that I was a single mom to Grayson
and his sisters and brother for seven and a half years. We've walked a broken journey too. And I know when you've encountered brokenness,
when you've known great brokenness, sometimes it's easy just to let that sit on top of you. It can hinder you. And for myself, there has been so many opportunities
to sit in my discouragement, you know? Just things hadn't turned out and it's not
going the way I want and I just sit in my own discouragement. Of course, sometimes I — the, the thing,
the very thing that hinders you are the people that you surround yourself with. I know I would try to take a step of spiritual
maturity or I would tie — try to take a step toward forgiveness or I would try to
take a step to grow up and I had some girlfriends who loved me and they would say things to
me like "oh girl, I'd still be mad if I were you.” You know, they, they just kind of encourage
you to stay in your stuff. But the Scripture is very clear here. We're supposed to throw off anything that
hinders us. And, and we're supposed to throw off the sin
that so easily entangles. And I know you know about sin. I mean, there are two pieces to this. There's your sin and then there's everybody
else's sin. And we're supposed to do the hard work of
dealing with our own sin and then you're gonna have to live this life walking straight by
everybody else's sin. My kids thought it was funny. A few years ago, I was invited to speak on
a cruise ship, which is a pretty cool thing but the Christian women's conference only
had half the ship. So, the other half, you know, was just a cruise,
woo. And to get to the place — the theater where
I was gonna be teaching the Bible, the only way to get into the theater was to walk straight
through a casino. And so here we are, you know, I've got my
Bible and my Bible stuff and my, you know, Christian kids and, and we're just walking
straight through that casino and it's like ding, ding, ding, ding, ding woo, you know. Serve me another. You know, it was like wide open. And they thought it was hilarious that we
had to walk through there to get to the Bible teaching. But that's how it's gonna be on this earth
all the days that you are here. You're gonna have to walk past it. You're gonna smell the aroma of sin, you're
gonna see sin around you, you're gonna be invited to come as you walk by. But you're gonna have to walk through and
not let that sin entangle you. Throw it off. We have a life to live for the glory of God. We have people to love. So, the writer goes on, he says and let us
run with perseverance the race marked for us. Turns out that this lifetime, it's a race. And we're gonna run it. We're called to the race. We're supposed to run with perseverance. Perseverance just means you don't give up. You tired? I know, me too. Don't give up. I — four and a half years ago — married
a man who is a triathlete. He can't even count how many hundreds of triathlons
he's done. He's a two-time Ironman finisher. He is something. I just know him, I don't — I’m not like
him. And, and the day he's explaining to me about
finishing an Ironman I'm like, oh my word! In case you, for some reason, don't know what
an Ironman is, you swim like two and a half miles or something and then you, you ride
your bicycle 100 miles and, and then you run a marathon. Woo, like nothing. And I'm like how could you do that? And he says to me oh, it's just a long day. Stop it. It's a long day. It's a — it’s just a long day for him,
because he has trained for endurance. It's just a long day for him cause even if
he's limping, he didn't give up. The author says that you and I, we're supposed
to live this life passionately, alive, and awake. Throwing off everything that hinders, the
sin that so easily entangles, to run with perseverance, just don't give out — don’t
give up baby. The, the race that is marked out for us. Well, what does marked out for us mean? It means like the one you got. The one that's coming up to meet you. There are some things in this world you get
to choose. Not so many, no. You didn't — you did not get to choose where
you were born or if you were gonna sound like this when you grew up, and you know, you did
not get to choose the parents you got. You didn't choose one or your brothers or
sisters, or maybe you did, I — you know. A couple of you maybe said I want that one,
but I didn't get to choose my kids. I mean, I just got the ones I got, you know. I'm crazy about 'em but I didn't have any
choice over it. Some of you might get to choose your spouse,
I don't know. My children might not get to choose their
own spouse but you know, we'll see. Kidding baby. But you know, you just get the life you get,
mostly. Maybe you chose the classes you were taking
at Liberty and they handed out the syllabus and you're like well shoot, I didn't know
I choose this! That's how it goes sometimes. You just, you just get the one you get. The life that comes up to meet you. The disease that maybe you struggle with or,
or the financial happenings going on in your family. Before school started about two years ago,
we looked at the calendar that weekend and said "no one has anything they have to do. Let's go to the mountains.” So, we took the children to the mountains. We went to Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. Yeah, oh yeah. And so, we decided on that Saturday, let's
go for a hike. You know, like outdoorsy people do. We had a backpack, we went to the Subway,
we bought sandwiches and some water bottles, put 'em in the backpack. We get over to the Grandfather Mountain and
there are trails all over that mountain and, and but I'm with them, so they have a sympathy
toward me, the family. And they decide we'll hike something, you
know, that mom can do. And so, we go over to the trailhead and, and
there's a trail like — I don't know what it was called, it was like — it was called
something like "your easy grandma trail," you know. And so, people came out of the trail and we
said how was it? They're like easy. I'm like okay, this is ours. And supposedly you just hike out a mile, there's
a lookout and it's gonna be beautiful. So, we start. And you know, they're just a whole mountain
of liars, all of 'em. I — you know, maybe it was just me. I had a misconception. I was thinking field of wheat. We'd just like walk through a little field
of wheat to the lookout. Well it was rocky and it was — rocks covered
with moss and it was, it was tree limbs and, and, and you know, it was like oh hang on,
you know, gotta climb around here. And it was not what I signed up for. It was the race marked out before me, but
it wasn't the one I thought I was getting. And so, the kids, you know, kind of got the
impression that I wasn't so excited about what we were doing so they just ran on ahead,
you know. And, and left me back there to climb around
a tree and swing under this and I'm like "are you sure this is the trail?” And we went and we went and we went and then
someone said "I found it, we're at the lookout.” And we get to this huge rock, and you have
to climb a rope to get up to the lookout.” Of course, my children, they're like gazelles. They just — and, and I'm like "everybody
be careful.” Because there's the rock at the lookout and
then like at the edge of the rock is like you go to Heaven. You know, like woo, that's it. And I'm like "sit down. Everybody sit down. Hey, get your sandwich out. Careful, don't do that.” Then somebody's water bottle like rolled off
to Heaven, you know, I'm like "don't get — don’t get it.” We were finished eating, we were like "oh
that was really beautiful, I'm so glad we sat up here to do that.” We climb down and then someone said "hey mom,
that wasn't the lookout, I found the real one!" Like stop it. Well we go around the corner and sure enough,
now there is this whole thing the state park it said there's a ladder, you climb the ladder,
and then there are two ropes to get up to this higher lookout and my husband said "you
stay here.” And so, I did for a minute. And I, I just — all the family's up there,
way up there, and I thought "this is not the picture I want to give to my children of their
cowardly mother. I just don't want them to think that I can't
do — I can do that.” You know, and, and I decided here — well
here I go. So, I climb the ladder. And then I start the first rope and I'm coming
up the rope and then I get on the second rope and then, and then evidently, the children
have asked "is mom coming?” And my husband said, “No, I told her not
to.” And then someone turns around and sees me
and they're like "mom, what are you doing?” Then I'm climbing, I'm coming, I'm coming. And, and I, I come up the rope and I just
splatter on the top of the rock and I'm lying on the top of the rock and I'm like "oh thank
goodness, I still have my credit card.” They said, "Mom? You brought a credit card?” I said "I thought there was gonna be a gift
shop.” Maybe, just maybe, you thought in this life
you were headed toward the gift shop too. And, and maybe you got your credit card but
it's not helping. You just have to — we have to run the race
that's marked out for us. The one we don't have any ability to change
or to sway. The author goes on to say that what we're
going toward is Jesus. The role model, let us fix our eyes on this
race, on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith. Who, for the joy set before Him — you see
the truth is, one day we're gonna cross the finish line. We're gonna step over. And I want you to step over worn out, you
know, running full steam, living for the glory of God. When Paul — it was at the end of his life
— he wrote to us, he said in 2 Timothy 4 these words: "For I am already being poured
out like a drink offering. My time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished
the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of
righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day.” You see, one day we're gonna step across. We're gonna finish the race, we're gonna cross
the finish line. Several years ago, my boys — I, I was a
single mom, I didn't know, I had not married Ironman yet. They wanted to run their first 5K and I said,
“Well, you think you can?” They were ages 10 and 8. I, I didn't know really what a 5K was. I said okay sure. So, we signed up, we went to the 5K and we
got the t-shirt. And the boys, they — you know — they’d
run around the neighborhood. I — pfft. Grayson was 10, his younger brother William
was 8. They, they, they start the race. Boom, here they go. I'm like go get 'em baby, woo! And then I walked over to the finish line
to wait for 'em to come across and, and so in a little while the fast runners start coming
in. And — the serious people, who are on a team
or something. And then in a little while some of the friends
from our church, they started coming in. And, and I'm standing at the finish line,
you know, cheering 'em in. And, and then after a while, my son Grayson,
he was 10, I, I see him coming down the hill and he's all by himself. And he comes across and I run over there and
I'm like "Way to go baby! Where's your brother?” "Oh, was I supposed to keep up with him?” "Yeah, that would've been good.” "I think he stopped to tie his shoe.” "Oka.” So, I go back to the sidelines and, and accumulating
more of our friends and more people from church and we're waiting and we're cheering everyone
who crosses the line. And, and — but William, the 8-year-old,
he's not showing up yet. And I'm getting nervous. Now we're — you know, now the slow runners
are coming in. Now I'm, I'm waiting for William. And the way the race is set up, they, they
top a hill and run down to the finish and, and I, I'm deciding I'm gonna start running
backwards. I got, I gotta go find my boy. And just as I'm getting ready to go, I see
him top the hill and then he sees me. And that little 8-year-old, he just, he just
runs himself down and, and I run to the finish and I wrap him up and I'm like "Baby, you
did it! You did it!" And he starts crying. He said "Momma, it was so hard.” He said "The last part was all uphill.” I want you to keep that picture in your mind
cause I want you to remember what you're going toward. You're, you're — we’re, we're spending
this life for the glory of God, running toward His arms and running toward our Savior. And there is a good possibility that today
you're running a part of the race that's all uphill. But one day, you, you and I, we gonna, we
gonna crest the top. And that cloud of witnesses, they will be
standing at the finish line waiting for you going "bring it home, bring it, bring it home! Bring it on in, come on!" You'll cross the line and I imagine falling
into the Savior's arms. He places that crown on your head, says to
you "good job baby, well done.” You see, the Savior, He hasn't called us to
live a perfect life, but I believe in the context of Scripture, you and I, we're supposed
to live the passionate life. We're supposed to run with everything we have. And so, on behalf of every mom who couldn't
be here to say these things to you, from your mom's heart, I say to you "run baby.” Use these days to give everything you have
for the glory of God. Take everything that is given to you. I am not calling you to perfection, I am asking
you for all your heart. And so, if you were mine, and now I kind of
think you are, my daughters, cute boys, I'd put my arms around you this morning and say
"Go baby. Live wide open for the glory of God.” It's a privilege to have been with you this
morning. God bless you, and I love you, and I'll see
you soon.
