It soon became evident that these were the athletes themselves.
It was summer 1996, and I was returning to Atlanta after a speaking engagement. I settled down into a window seat for the long flight home. I was feeling both exhaustion and exhilaration from sharing my story about the Lord’s great faithfulness as well as the struggles that accompany my service for Him.
One of the athletes bounced onto the aisle seat in my row and with a great smile and very strong handshake introduced himself. Before I could ask which sport he would be competing in, he excitably told me all about it. I responded, “Wow, that must have required a great deal of work and dedication on your part to have made it this far!”
It was then that he began to tell me in detail just
how much work and dedication it had taken him, telling of exhausting hours, and the self-denial required when he wanted to do anything but practice. I was especially impressed with the sacrifices he had made. I noticed he clenched his fists when he shared the absolute resolve it took to just not quit when things got tough which was often.
He said that many times he wanted to quit, but he would rebuke his selfish desires and press on toward the goal of being in the Olympics someday. Now, finally, here he was.
As I looked out the window, I thought about my own level of commitment to the call on my life as a full-time pro-life missionary. I knew well the long, exhausting hours on the sidewalks of abortion clinics, and the many times spent in jail. All too easily I could instantly feel the pain that came from giving my family, friends, and children back to the Lord.
I thought about how many times I wanted to quit. After all, no one would blame me. I was out on that sidewalk year after lonely year in all types of weather, pushed, shoved, spit on and cussed at. I, too, found times when I had to fight the temptation to quit, to rest, to take time off.
Instead, I had to remain determined to stay the course and not give up.
I thought about how those fine young people were working hard for much deserved rewards. Many would return with those rewards in hand.
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It is now 2024,
twenty-eight years later, and I have just returned from another speaking engagement, having shared how the Lord is remaining ever so faithful to me as He graciously enables me to continue serving Him. This time, my return trip was by car and should have been just over three hours, but the pouring rain slowed my progress and gave me much time for reflection. My always busy mind was about its usual exercise of weaving present and past experiences together.
It was the memory of those strong, determined young Olympian hopefuls of long ago that merged with reflective thoughts of the group of not-so-young
Spiritual Olympians I had just had the privilege of meeting with Central Illinois Right to Life in Peoria, Illinois. When I left there, I tried to fix faces and names in my mind, grateful for the opportunity to have met each of them, recalling how they welcomed me with open arms and spoke excitably about all the pro-life activities that they have been involved with over the years.
When asked why and how she does it at her age, she says, “Life is so important. Life comes first. Without life, there is nothing.
God gave me the mission and He gives me the strength to do it.”
She said a fuller understanding of the need to speak for the unborn increased tremendously after
she was arrested several times while taking a stand for life. What an amazing example she is to all of us!
To the rest of us in the battle, I say,
now is not the time to quit, to retire, to rest from our labors,
no matter our age or complaints. The battle is raging! Like those young Olympian athletes, we must continue to make sacrifices, keep pushing through the long hours, pain, and discouragement.
If they can do it,
we can do it!
If Sister can do it,
we can do it!
Perhaps someday soon we will receive, not a medal around our necks, but
a crown we can throw at the feet of our blessed Lord and Savior. Until then, with His strength and enabling, and to His glory, may we strive to become
tenacious Olympian Champions of the Cross!
