oops…

i had a couple of thoughts the other night as i watched the girl gymnast from the united states experience her personal disaster during the team competition…

first, i am totally blown away when i think of the personal and family commitment that olympic athletes make to achieve their dreams.  years of sacrifice…childhood experiences, relationships, money, “normal” family life, and who knows what else…?  it’s beyond impressive…it’s dedication beyond words.

second, as i watched her crumble under the weight of competition and the pressure of international, national, team and personal expectations, i wondered what she must have been thinking.  was it all worth it?  what will my legacy be?  what does my team think about me now?  how can i show my face in public?  how will i ever move past this moment?  will i ever be the same?  as a parent, my heart broke for her.  as a competitor, i know the majority of athletes (all but an elite few) end up far short of their dreams and have to find a way to move on.  

as a follower of christ, the episode made my mind wander to the greater theme of god’s kingdom.  where is our commitment?  will we ever approach this level of athletic dedication in our spiritual lives…something of vastly greater importance?  can you imagine what things would be like if followers of christ were as sold out to biblical obedience and godly pursuit, as an olympic athlete is to the uneven parallel bars or the balance beam?

what would happen?  what would it take?  for me…?  for you…?

#commitment #failure #olympics