The Race That Wasn't Finished Alone

In the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, British sprinter Derek Redmond lined up for the 400-meter semifinal. He had trained for years, fought through multiple surgeries, and finally made it to the Olympic stage. When the gun fired, he surged forward with everything he had.

Then, halfway around the track, his hamstring snapped. Redmond crumpled to the ground as sixty-five thousand spectators gasped. Medical staff rushed toward him with a stretcher, but Redmond refused it. He stood up and began hobbling toward the finish line, tears streaming down his face.

Then something remarkable happened. A large man pushed past security and wrapped his arm around Derek's waist. It was Jim Redmond — his father. "We started this together," Jim told his son, "and we're going to finish it together." Step by agonizing step, father and son crossed that finish line while the entire stadium rose to its feet.

The writer of Hebrews tells us to run with perseverance the race marked out for us. But notice — the passage never says we run alone. The Almighty is the Father who breaks through every barrier to reach us in our worst moments. He doesn't send a stretcher. He doesn't pull us from the race. He wraps His arm around us and says, "We will finish this together."

Whatever has torn at you this week, you have a Father who refuses to let you crawl alone.