The Man Who Wouldn't Stay Down

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.

What happened next became one of the most replayed moments in Olympic history. Redmond refused to stay down. He rose to his feet and began hobbling toward the finish line, tears streaming down his face. Then a man pushed past security guards and burst onto the track. It was Jim Redmond, Derek's father. He wrapped his arm around his son's shoulders and whispered, "We're going to finish this together." The two of them crossed that finish line while 65,000 people rose to their feet.

Courage is not the absence of pain. It is the decision to keep moving toward the finish line even when everything in you screams to quit. And here is the gospel in that moment — you do not hobble forward alone. The Father comes to you. He pushes past every barrier to reach you. He wraps His arm around you and says, "We will finish this together."

As the writer of Hebrews puts it, "Let us run with endurance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus." You may be limping today. Keep going. Your Father is already on the track.