Talk about ANYTHING…..well, not
Jesus, though.
So here’s the deal. My wife loves
the internet. I use it here and there,
but would call somebody on the phone long before I’d ever tap into skype……kind of
a “crooksosaurus” I guess. Anyway, the
upside of it all is that the other day she told me to check out some articles
she had found on the internet about a young girl in the Olympics. So, I did, and it is a good illustration of
an ongoing debate/ battle in our society.
The articles were about a young gymnast named Gabby Douglas. Lots to see in these things. What is really bad, is that I LOVE the
gymnastic events, and somehow missed them all……that is really
disappointing. Anyway, so if you missed
it, too, then know that 16 year old Gabby won the gold medal in one of the
women’s events spectacularly. Before and
after, she acknowledge Christ as her source.
In addition, her parents are in the process of going through a divorce,
so that also makes her relevant for us.
Posted some thoughts on the public witness of folks the other day, here
is another example. The articles she
sent me to included three from various places (maybe I ought to post the links
below….you can check). One lady didn’t
like the idea of Gabby speaking about God, because it doesn’t fit her image of
what God should be like or how Christians should behave. (So is it okay for some of us to not like how
THAT LADY practices HER Christian faith, too, or is it only people like Gabby
that are out of bounds?)
Then there is another person who wrote about the issue of whether
Gabby believed God helped her win the gold medal, believing that she does. Well, of COURSE she does. In fact, God helped every medalist there to
win! There is air to breathe,
right? They do have brains and muscles
that work, right? It’s just that Gabby
is one of those who recognizes that God has done things like that for her, and
some others are oblivious to it.
What may be interesting, and what I suspect will be the case….certainly
hope so, (but haven’t seen cause have been pretty tied up of late), is whether
she understands that God is her source and help when she loses as well as when
she wins. I hear she didn’t win in
another event and was disappointed.
Does that mean God didn’t back her anymore? Ridiculous!
Athletes (and other professions as well who really understand the
scriptures), understand that God’s help is for us to be able to be the best
person in character that we can be….because the kind of person we are is what
God really cares most about. They also
understand that we seek God’s help that we may do our best, and do so in a way
that brings HIM glory rather than simply ourselves. And that what God does through us might be
something God can use to make a difference in the lives of others. These things are true whether it is bouncing
around on floor mats, or throwing footballs, or mounting brakes onto cars, or
serving in Congress, or writing blogs!
It’s all one and the same, all we do is to be done for the glory of God,
to the best of our ability, with the strength and gifts that God provides.
So Gabby, keep going. God is
using you, because I don’t even know you, didn’t even see your performance, and
yet find that your stand for Christ is being bounced around the internet to
somebody like me, thousands of miles away.
Gabby, have fun, enjoy the ride, life is too short to worry too much
about all the garbage that comes our way.
And, Gabby, I am sorry you had to go through watching your folks
marriage fall apart. Maybe that will
change one day. But I am glad you have
learned already that your life does not have to be limited because of that one
event over which you had no control. You
are an example of the fact that God can still do great things through people
committed to him, even out of circumstances that don’t seem so good at the
time. (Gee, I wonder if she even reads
my blog? Maybe I should invite her to
subscribe!)
TL:dr Can’t do one sentence, but Gabby Douglas is
creating a buzz, and it even landed on MY blog!
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