“Everything hinges on what happens in the exchange zone. There we receive the baton, and there we release what is no longer ours to carry so the next runners can play their part.”
Christine Caine
Two days from now John and I will be all packed up with our belongings loaded on a moving van, heading to Wichita. I’ve experienced the whole gamut of emotions within my heart, like a roller coaster going up and coming back down. I have thoughts of gratitude for the dear family and friends we’ve made in Omaha since 1989, as well as all the ways God has grown us up spiritually. We take with us our wonderful memories, to the next chapter in our lives.
Lately I’ve been pondering the legacy I’m leaving behind and the deposits I’ve made into lives. I’ve reflected on what batons I’ve grasped in our leg of life here, that is now time to pass on to others. A few months ago, while at a retreat with friends, the Holy Spirit came upon one of them. God showed her how I’ve been holding a space till others were ready to step into it. And once I leave, they will be launched.
I’ve been reading Christine Caine’s book titled Unstoppable. It’s regarding running the race you were born to win. She writes about the importance of the exchange zone, when you pass the baton onto another and when it’s your turn to grab ahold of a new baton and run with it. She encourages us to “master the handoff.” Christine goes on to say: “Releasing the batons entrusted to your care-batons you’ve carried well and marveled over as you’ve experienced God’s supernatural work in you and through you–often requires a willingness to say good-bye, to let go, to move from the known to the unknown. But the rewards can be breathtaking, because in the handoff, you are privileged to play a part in God’s unfolding plan not only for you but also for others.”
Today I am passing the baton of being a spiritual mom, mentor, speaker, and writer to those of you in Omaha that are running with God in the exchange zone. May you take what I leave and build upon that. And as I move to Wichita, I turn to God and say, “Please pass the baton.” Whatever new race He wants me to run, may I do it faithfully, for His glory.
“When you learn to master the handoff…, your race is not marred by sadness or regrets. It is filled with excitement, joy, and adventure. You don’t have time to linger over the past because you are too busy running into the future. When God determines that it is time to hand off a baton, it is only because we have taken it as far as we can and He has something else for us to do. We need to let go of one baton in order to take hold of another.”
Christine Caine
Relevant Reflections:
Is there a baton you need to pass onto another person?
What new baton is God asking you to grab ahold of, to run the race He has for you?
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