The 2024 Summer Olympics completed yesterday. I enjoy watching the athletes. What they are able to do is amazing. This devotion is not about these Olympics. I’m going to talk about an athlete who competed in previous Olympics. Jennifer Simpson is an American middle- and long-distance runner. She’s a four time NCAA National Champion. She won the gold medal in the 1500 meters at the 2011 World Championships, silvers at the 2013 and 2017 World Championships, and a bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She was the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in the event. She represented the United States at the 2008 Beijing, 2012 London, and 2016 Rio Olympics. She entered the 2021 Track and Field trials with hopes of returning to a fourth Olympics. She missed the top 3 spots and did not qualify for the Tokyo Games.
Can you imagine the disappointment? Athletes train for years to compete in the Olympics. And to be so close, yet so far from making it at the same time. Instead of feeling sorry for herself, Jenny immediately went to congratulate the three who did qualify. She took defeat graciously. In her defeat, she still found the ability to honor the others. We can all learn from that example. No matter what life brings us, we can step forward with confidence. We can let God take control. We can love him. Put our trust in him. And show our faith in him. Surrendering our lives to him. Stepping forward for him.
There’s another example of this that we can learn from and follow. One that we NEED to follow. That is Jesus. Jesus knew that he had to surrender all of his own desires. He knew that was what it was going to take for our salvation. And just like you and me, I believe he had a choice. He could’ve chosen to not go through what he did. He could’ve turned away from why he was here. I might be wrong thinking that. But he was human while he was on earth. Therefore he could choose. And he chose to step forward. So the question for us all today is, “Will we step forward even when times are hard?” That’s a great question. But it’s one that we should all ask ourselves. So today let’s challenge ourselves to answer that question honestly. And let’s find ways to step forward.
