Have you heard of drafting? If you are a Nascar fan, you probably know exactly what I am talking about. A driver will tuck in behind another driver, following along so close to their bumper, and race for miles. The complicated explanation of how this works uses words like “aerodynamics, negative lift, pressure differential, downforce, and friction drag.” I do not have the technical knowledge to explain any of that. So, allow me to water it down significantly so that I can understand it.
The less complicated explanation is that it allows drivers to drive faster with better fuel efficiency. They tuck in behind a car so that the one in front takes all of the wind resistance leaving the driver in the back the opportunity to skate along. He saves energy and fuel. Later during the race, the driver in the back can pull out from behind the other driver theoretically with plenty of energy to hopefully win the race.
I never gave much thought to drafting until I started running. Runners will also do it. It’s the same concept: one runner will tuck in behind another to lessen the wind resistance thus saving energy until closer to the end of the race when the back runner can step out with a reserve and pull ahead.
After I started running, I began to recognize the many correlations between running and Christianity. I believe this idea of drafting is an important concept in our earthly races.
A little more than eight years ago, my husband and I experienced the single most devastating event in our lives, our 16-year-old son died. We didn’t know what to do. We walked around in a fog for the first six months. It was like the world was spinning out of control, and we could not get our feet on solid ground. Every task took an enormous amount of energy; much more than ever before. The simplest decisions took concentrated effort. We were floundering.
One day we learned about a group called While We’re Waiting. It is a faith-based group specifically for parents whose children have run ahead to Heaven. You are wondering, what this has to do with drafting. I promise, I am getting there.
This group was created by other parents who had also experienced the loss of a child. By people who knew exactly what we were going through. Do you see where I am going?
We attended a parent retreat where we spent an entire weekend with 11 other couples who were on the same journey we were on – trying to learn to live without a huge piece of our hearts. That weekend we talked about the worst day of our lives. We laughed, we cried, we ate a lot, and we talked about the depth of love a Heavenly Father has for His children. We glazed over the pleasantries and went straight to the hardcore realities of this earthly life. It was the most uplifting, encouraging retreat we had ever attended.
Do you see what we did? We drafted. We tucked in behind other parents, many of whom were further along on the journey than we were. We listened, we learned, we clung to them for strength and encouragement. They did not deny us any of it. They poured into us in ways that we didn’t even realize we needed. For the next couple of years, we continued to draft. We attended other events including a support group, a marriage retreat, a mom’s day and a dad’s day. We listened, we learned, we clung to them. We spent time together with others who knew the difficulties.
Then, we began to feel stronger. It wasn’t a day that we could mark on a calendar. It was just a time when someone else needed encouragement, and we were able to provide some. Someone else needed strength, and we had a little to give. As more opportunities arose, we found that we were beginning to pull out from behind the other couples to encourage other parents.
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:3
Drafting allows us to carry one another, to comfort one another, and to provide strength for those who are hurting. Whether someone needs help fighting against temptation or surviving through difficult circumstances, we are called to carry the burdens of others. Why? Because God knows how much stronger we are together than we are individually.
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” I Thessalonians 5:11
Drafting allows us to encourage one another. Do you really understand the amount of hope that you provide? Remember that parent retreat we attended? We met a couple there whose son had passed away nearly twenty years prior. When they laughed, I found hope. When they expressed joy, I found hope. When they talked to me, I found hope. They were on the same path I was on, and they weren’t just surviving, they were living well. I wanted that too! I spent that weekend watching and learning from them. I tucked in behind them.
The great thing about Christianity is that we are all in this together. We are all on the journey towards Heaven, and we are all supposed to do life together, to help one another and to encourage one another. Regardless of what you are struggling with, you can find someone to draft behind. I guarantee it! You can find someone to give you the strength and encouragement you need while you rest a bit from the fighting. Then, one day, you will feel strengthened enough to come out and join in the journey alongside them.
With Eyes on the Cross 