I always enjoy the athletics at the Olympics and there is one performance that particularly sticks in my mind. It wasn’t a world record breaking performance, It happened during the 1992 Olympics.
Britain’s Derrick Redmond was among the favourites for the Gold in the 400m. The starting gun fired and Redmond made a good start, he was well placed as they headed into the corner and then disaster, he pulled his hamstring and slowed up in agony. He hopped and hobbled for a few metres and suddenly a spectator ran from the crowd. Officials tried to stop him running on to the track but he dodged them, ran up to the anguished athlete and put his arm around him.
It was Derrick Redmond’s dad.
Leaning on his dad together they made it to the finish line, over 4 minutes behind the winner but they received a greater ovation from the crowd, Derrick and his dad were winners in their eyes.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:14 Paul tells us to
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“encourage the disheartened, help the weak,”
Essentially he is telling us to be Derrick Redmond’s dad, to get out of our seats, and come alongside those who have pulled up in the race of life and help them continue in the race. So many people around us are injured, emotionally, or relationally, or physically right now, Paul says as Christ followers we shouldn’t remain spectators when we see them but get alongside them, help them to stand and get moving again.
So who could you be Derrick Redmond’s dad to this week?
Abraham's Footsteps 