It is How You Finish!!!! An Olympic Moment!

    Sharing Life---Connecting Journeys—Following Christ

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day…….2 Timothy 4:7

Given that we are watching the Winter Olympics on television now it seems fitting to recall a moment when character was on display for the whole world to see.  This is one of my personal favorites from an anthology of Olympic moments.

The year was 1968. The place was Mexico City, site of the 1968 Summer Olympic Games. It happened late one night in the main track and field stadium.  Out of that cold darkness. John Stephen Akhwari from Tanzania entered the stadium. He hobbled slowly and unsteadily. Pain filled his every step. Blood ran down his bandaged leg. His dreams of Olympic glory had long since faded into the shadows of the night.

    More than an hour earlier, the winner of the Olympic marathon had already been declared. The other finishers began streaming across the line slowly thereafter. By the time Akhwari approached the stadium, only a few spectators remained in their seats. There was no one cheering, no flag waving. Yet the lone runner pressed on.

    As he neared the Olympic stadium, word circulated that there was one runner still struggling to compete the 26.2 mile course. Other Olympians and spectators quickly came back to the stadium to watch the scene unfold. The stadium lights flickered back on. Akhwari entered the stadium and began to wearily pound out his final lap around the track. As he neared the finish line, the small crowd that had gathered began to roar with appreciation. They stood and cheered the lone runner all the way to the finish line. After crossing the white stripe, an exhausted Akhwari nearly collapsed. Yet in his anguish, he managed to stay on his feet and acknowledge the faithful few who had witnessed his final steps.

   After it was all over a reporter asked Akhawari why he had not retired from the race, as he had fallen so far back and had no chance of winning.

    Akhwari seemed confused by the question but finally answered.”My country did not send me 5,000 miles to Mexico City to start the race,” he said. “They sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race.”

As each of us considers the race behind and before us let us choose to persevere. As Christ and the apostle Paul demonstrated character shows not in the moments of public acceptance and idolization but in the darkness of Gethsemane and the prison cells of Rome.  As you lead and may have times of discouragement and fatigue know that you are not alone. There is a great crowd of witnesses in heaven and teammates here on earth as well.

Thank you for leading—thank you for persevering—YOU ARE APPRECIATED!!!!