When a Father Reaches the Track

In the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, British sprinter Derek Redmond lined up for the 400-meter semi-final carrying years of injury and comeback. He had already overcome five surgeries just to reach that starting line. When the gun fired, he ran with everything he had — until his hamstring snapped midway through the back stretch. He crumpled to the track, clutching his leg, his Olympic dream shattered in an instant.

What happened next became one of the most replayed moments in sports history. Derek pulled himself up. He began hobbling toward the finish line, tears streaming down his face. Then a large man in a T-shirt pushed past security and onto the track. It was Jim Redmond — his father. Jim wrapped his arm around his son's shoulder and said, "We're going to finish this together." And they did. Sixty-five thousand people in Montjuic Stadium rose to their feet.

Healing does not always look like the removal of pain. Sometimes healing looks like a Father who refuses to watch from the stands while His child suffers. The Psalmist knew this: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me."

The God who heals — Jehovah Rapha — does not always take the torn hamstring away. But He always comes onto the track. He always says, "We finish this together."