Tuesday, July 15, 2008

GOD HELPS US ALWAYS

The Summer Olympics will soon be back again, this year from Beijing, China. This fall Carol and I will be taking a cruise around the Mediterranean, flying first to Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona was the site of the 1992 Olympics and provided one of Track and Field's most memorable moments. Britain's Derek Redmond was considered the fastest man in the world in the 400-meters, a certain contender for the gold medal. When the gun sounded, he was running the race of his life, ahead of the field as he rounded the turn into the backstretch. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain go up the back of his leg, and he fell headlong onto the track with a torn hamstring.

As medical attendants approached, Redmond fought to his feet and began hopping on one leg, in a valiant attempt to finish the race. As he did so, a large man in a T-shirt came out of the stands, shoved aside security guards and ran to Redmond's side. "You don't have to do this," he told the young man. "Yes, I do," said Derek. "Well, then," said the big man, "we're going to finish this together." And they did. Refusing the help of medical attendants, tears of pain and disappointment streaming down his face, Derek Redmond completed his race, held up by his father, Jim Redmond.

As they crossed the finish line, the crowd rose in wild, victorious cheers to the pair. Derek Redmond didn't win the gold, but he gave to all who saw it an incredible memory of an athlete's courage, aided by a loving father who left his seat in the stands and to help him finish his race.

That's precisely what God does for us. Whenever we are experiencing pain, injured by life, or are struggling to finish the race we are in, we have a loving Father who won't let us do it alone. He is there by our side, holding us up. Our Heavenly Father left His place in heaven to come alongside us in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ who tells us, "I am with you always to the end of the world." (Matthew 28:20)

Just lean on Him!

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