Representing, Canada

It's figure skating season baby! I've had quite a few opportunities to watch figure skating live over the past few weeks, from international elite-level competition at Skate Canada in Missisauga last weekend, or at the sectional series with Skate Ontario in Richmond Hill this week.

I watched as my favourite skaters warmed up on and off the ice, proudly wearing their Skate Canada or Skate Ontario apparel. I froze and was overwhelmed when I spotted skating legends and olympians walking past me. And I cheered loudly when it was time to compete, hearing the announcer say, "representing Canada" or "representing the Milton Figure Skating Club", as they took centre ice.

It made me wonder what it meant to be able to don such apparel, what it means to represent your figure skating club, your province and your country. There is a sense of pride to be on the team. Everyone dreams and works hard, hopeful that one day they will represent Canada on the world and olympic stage. The early mornings, the endless practices, the failures, the falls, the injuries, and the successes, the medals and the personal bests are all a part of the long journey. But to be able to represent Canada at the elite level requires you to prove yourself, your value, and your ability, to merit your spot on the team. What immense pressure, but also what a sense of accomplishment if one were to ever get so far. 

Meanwhile, there are ordinary people roaming the grocery stores, sitting on buses, working in offices or in retail who represent something greater and someone eternal. Christians are representatives of the Creator God, maker of heaven and earth. They don robes of righteousness, they are equipped with the armour of God, and they practice denying themselves and mortifying sin every day. But they do so, not to prove anything. To represent Christ, the risen King, it is not dependent on your worth, ability, skill or good deeds. One's reconciliation to God, having been once an enemy of God, one's redemption, from sin and corruption, and one's restoration and sanctification are all because of what Christ has done on the cross on their behalf. It is a supernatural miracle to be called and elected by God, to be given faith, to be granted repentance and to be forgiven. What a humbling thought - that we, depraved worms, can now be called sons and daughters of the Most High because of Christ's work on the cross. 

"How often do I fail to live in accordance to this reality?" was my thought as I watched ice dancers cha-cha and glide to glory. How often do we need to remind ourselves of the glorious salvation we have in Christ, and what that means in our pursuit of holiness, and our dispositions of our hearts and minds. What a glorious truth! What a comfort to know that we are forgiven, and stand right before God, the judge of all the earth. What a joy to know our Heavenly Father and to be known and loved by Him! What peace to rest in his perfect sovereignty! What a hope knowing that we will be made new one day and will reign with Him for eternity! What a privilege it is to represent our Lord and Saviour! I am His and He is mine! Can you say the same? 

Come ye sinners, poor and needy,

weak and wounded, sick and sore;

Jesus ready stands to save you,

full of pity love and power.

Let not conscience make your linger,

nor of fitness fondly dream;

all the fitness he requireth

is to feel your need of him.

Come ye weary, heavy laden,

lost and ruined by the fall;

if you tarry till you're better,

you will never come at all.

I will rise and go to Jesus!

He will save me from my sin

by the riches of his merit

there is joy and life in him.