The Finish Line in Barcelona

In the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, British sprinter Derek Redmond lined up for the 400-meter semifinal with everything he had trained for within reach. Halfway around the track, his hamstring snapped. He crumpled to the ground as the other runners pulled away.

What happened next remains one of the most replayed moments in Olympic history. Redmond stood up. Weeping, hobbling, he began lurching toward the finish line. Officials moved to stop him. Then a large man in a T-shirt pushed past security and onto the track. It was Jim Redmond — Derek's father. He wrapped his arm around his son's shoulder and said, "We're going to finish this together." And they did. Sixty-five thousand people rose to their feet.

Courage is not the absence of pain. It is the decision to keep moving forward when everything in you says to quit. Derek Redmond could have stayed on that track and no one would have blamed him. But he got up.

And here is the gospel in that moment: he did not finish alone. His father came to him.

The Apostle Paul wrote, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). That is not a verse about athletic performance. It is about the God who meets us in our broken places and says, "We will finish this together."

Whatever race the Almighty has set before you, you do not run it alone. When your strength fails, your Father is already on His way.