For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6, NASB)
Do you remember Ken Venturi? He won one major championship, and that was the 1964 U.S. Open. He opened the championship with a 5-over-par 75 and just made the cut.
The last two rounds were played on the same day, in oppressive heat over 100 degrees. He succumbed to heat exhaustion, and doctors told him it was dangerous to continue.
Ken was delirious and could not focus, but somehow forged ahead. He was four under the last two rounds and won by four. Dramatic and inspiring. One of golf’s greatest stories.
Our college team met Mr. Venturi two years later. I still remember the advice he gave us. He defined success as “the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.” The truth is that there is only one ideal worth following along life’s trail.
Stay on Trail (see link below) is the title of a new book just published in August of this year. It says that the authors are Ken Gire and me.
Ken is my favorite Christian author and has written over 30 Christian books. He indeed wrote this one. I told him some stories and provided some photographs, but Ken masterfully strung the words together to inspire, nourish, and teach us.
The book is not about me. It is about prayer, God’s providence, and the hope for our future. It is the story of us—all of us. Only in looking back do we see God’s hand forging a path down the precarious trail called life.
And as we get closer to Home, we finally begin to realize God’s purpose in keeping us on that trail. We get tired, but Home beckons us to a glorious, eternal celebration.
Ken Gire uses a beautiful metaphor for life to represent the trail we travel. It matters not where we are on that trail, but it is immeasurably important the direction we are headed and who is leading the way.
Is it our desire to travel closely with Jesus? And to stay close no matter what! That is indeed the ultimate worthy ideal.
The chapters tell of the journey. It starts with finding the trailhead, our salvation, and then continues with following the trail.
Many times, our way gets bumpy, and the challenges lead us into the fog of losing our way. But, with God and His providence, we find our way back.
Perseverance. Proven character. And hope. Then a choice is made to stay on the trail no matter what. The last chapters are stories about chasing daylight nearing the end of the trail.
Ken writes, “All life is grace. But because we are so busy with everyday life, those moments of grace slip past us, unnoticed. We have eyes to see, but we are blind to the wonder that surrounds us. We have ears to hear, but we are deaf to the music that streams past us.
And so, we forget. We forget how dear we are to God. We forget how dear our neighbor is to God, our mate, our children, our grandchildren. God has put each of us in a unique corner in this world. Our corner. And things take place there, too, just like everywhere else.
But if we don’t slow down, we’ll miss it. As I once heard Chuck Swindoll say in a sermon, ‘You can spend your life any way you want. But you can only spend it once.’” (Randy Wolff and Ken Gire, Stay on Trail)
I can honestly say it is one of the best books I have ever read. Thank you, Ken, and all glory to God.
Available on Amazon: Stay on Trail by Randy Wolff and Ken Gire
Closing prayer – Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your companionship along the way to our Home.