Visiting Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota was a long-awaited adventure. Sherry had visited with her family when she was young, but it had always been a dream of mine, ever since I saw a ViewMaster slide of it as a young boy. But what about these faces on a cliff?
Hebrews 12:1:
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
Seeing the witness of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln can be inspiring. Washington the “father our country”; Jefferson the “father of the Declaration of Independence” that set the foundation for our constitution and laws; Roosevelt whose “Bully pulpit” preached American values; and Lincoln who often quoted the Bible and fought to keep our nation together. Lincoln, whose image stands to the side of the other three, spoke the words of Jesus that a “house divided cannot stand.”
If I were to carve faces on a cliff, I might choose four others. Just as Washington, Jefferson, and Roosevelt are in a group in chronological order. I would put Abraham, Moses, and the Apostle Paul in a chronological group. Abraham is the “father of all who believe.” Moses declared independence from the evils around him and provided a law for a godly lifestyle. Paul used every opportunity to preach the risen Christ and the power of the holy spirit.
Just as Lincoln fought to bring all Americans together, so Jesus Christ fought to conquer sin and bring all nations together in one new body. I would put Jesus Christ off to the right like Lincoln. He deserves the greatest place of honor as God’s only-begotten Son who always did the Father’s will. But unlike all others, God raised him from the dead, and he is now Lord of all.
Hebrews 12:2
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
It is nice to see the Washington-Jefferson-Roosevelt-Lincoln images to help us remember their accomplishments to bless our nation. And maybe we’ll never see the Abraham-Moses-Paul-Jesus Christ images on a cliff. But their example and accomplishments will bless all nations for eternity!
Communicating is what life is about. Yet how I talk to our two-year-old granddaughter, one of my middle-school students, or my wife is very different. God communicates with us even more personally through His Word. He had people filled with his spirit write it down [II Peter 1:21]. It came in human form as God’s Son, who made known his Father [John 1:14,18]. 
I just finished running 26.2 miles in the CDA [Coeur D’Alene, Idaho] marathon. I sure had a lot of help. Mostly from old friends who were praying for me. The weather was perfect, and I know their prayers helped. And I met several new friends during the run. Also, I had 25 other “friends” to help me along the way—one for each mile of the run. 
What are you afraid of? Pain, suffering, poverty, sickness, looking foolish, losing love, being disliked, failing at your job, a bad marriage, a country in chaos? There is plenty to fear if we let our minds go that route. But God gave you free will and the ability to think His thoughts. Then you can claim His power and shine forth for Him! 
I used to care a lot about what people thought of me. In fact, in high school I tried to be everybody’s friend. I was eventually class president and had made a name for myself, but I really didn’t have that many close friends. Even worse, I would change my opinions based upon who I was with in order to please them. This chameleon lifestyle was hard to keep, because it would change with each social environment. 
