When Finishing Means More Than Winning

In the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, British sprinter Derek Redmond lined up for the 400-meter semi-final carrying years of injury and setback. He had already endured five surgeries. This was supposed to be his moment.

Then, about 150 meters in, his right hamstring snapped. Redmond crumpled to the track, clutching his leg, his face twisted in agony. Medical staff rushed toward him with a stretcher. But Redmond refused it. He pulled himself up and began hobbling toward the finish line, tears streaming down his face.

Then something remarkable happened. A large man pushed past security and onto the track. It was Jim Redmond — Derek's father. He wrapped his arm around his son's shoulder and whispered, "We're going to finish this together." Step by painful step, father and son moved down the final stretch. Sixty-five thousand spectators rose to their feet. By the time they crossed the line, the entire stadium was weeping.

Healing rarely looks the way we expect. We want the miraculous sprint — the instant fix, the overnight recovery. But so often, the God who heals is the God who comes alongside. He is Jehovah Rapha, the Lord who heals, and His healing frequently arrives not as the removal of our pain but as a Presence within it.

You may be limping today. But your Father has already left the stands.