The Father Who Came Running

In the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, British sprinter Derek Redmond lined up for the 400-meter semifinal as one of the favorites. He had trained his entire life for this moment. Then, roughly 250 meters into the race, his hamstring snapped. He crumpled to the track in agony while the other runners surged past him toward the finish line.

What happened next became one of the most replayed moments in Olympic history. Redmond pulled himself up. Through tears and searing pain, he began hopping toward the finish. He was not going to quit. Then a large man in a T-shirt pushed past security guards and ran onto the track. It was Jim Redmond — Derek's father. He wrapped his arm around his son's shoulder and whispered, "You don't have to do this." Derek replied, "Yes, I do." Jim said, "Then we're going to finish together." And they did. Sixty-five thousand people stood and wept as father and son crossed that line arm in arm.

Courage is not the absence of pain. It is the decision to keep moving toward what the Almighty has set before you, even when everything in your body screams to stop. And here is the gospel in that moment — our Heavenly Father does not watch from the stands when we falter. He comes running. He breaks through every barrier to reach us, wraps His arm around us, and says, "We will finish this together."

You were never meant to be brave alone.