The Bloodied Knee That Wouldn't Kneel

On October 20, 1968, seventy-five runners launched into the Olympic marathon through the thin air of Mexico City. The altitude — over 7,300 feet — punished their lungs. One by one, eighteen runners dropped out. Mamo Wolde of Ethiopia crossed the finish line first. The medal ceremony concluded. The crowd thinned. The sun set.

Then, more than an hour after the winner, a lone figure limped into the Olympic Stadium. John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania hobbled down the track with his right leg wrapped in crude, bloodied bandages — his knee dislocated and his shoulder battered from a brutal fall during the race. The few thousand spectators who remained rose to their feet, giving him an ovation that rivaled the winner's. When a reporter asked why he hadn't simply quit, Akhwari replied, "My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race."

Paul writes in Galatians 6:9, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Notice — Paul never promises the road will be painless. He promises a harvest for those who refuse to stop.

Some of you are limping today. The ministry feels thankless. The marriage feels empty. The prayers feel unanswered. God did not call you into this season to start well. He called you to finish. Keep going. The stadium of heaven is on its feet.