FAITHFUL TO THE FINISH
In the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Derek Redmond of Great Britain was considered a favorite contender for a medal. It was the evening of August 3, 1992 as Redmond was pitted against seven others in a semi-final in the 400 meters. Redmond knelt poised, waiting for the race to start. As the gun went off, his body was translated into a human locomotion, feverishly charging against the other runners.
As Redmond prepared to round the curve after the halfway mark, however, he suddenly heard a pop. It was his right hamstring. Redmond soon found himself trapped by the searing pain of his leg.
The other runners finished the race as he desperately continued his painful trek to the finish line. He waved off the stretchers, however, determined to finish the race.
From the stands, his father had been watching. He pushed his way past security guards to meet his son on the track. He then reached his weeping son. "Look, you don't have to do this."
Redmond then replied: "Yes I do."
His father then said: "Well, if you're going to finish this race, we'll finish it together."
With his arm locked around his son, Jim Redmond helped his son to the finish line to the sounds of a cheering stadium.
We have to remember that God is like that in the race we are running. Sometimes we may get injured in the race, but God is always there ready to come out of the stands, put His arm around us, and help us to the finish line.
(SOURCE: paraphrased from Bud Greenspan's, 100 Greatest Moments in Olympic History, p. 136. )