Pastor's Heartbeat Devotional

 

Beloved:

    Shun Fujimoto. Once you hear his story you'll never forget this Champion of the Gold! He was a member of the Japanese Olympic gymnastic team in the 1976 Olympics. He had trained for the better part of his life for this moment--a moment soaked with extreme anticipation, unbelievable pressure, breathtaking courage...and excruciating pain. You see, he had broken his knee cap the day before his final performance--an extremely painful debilitating injury which causes impaired function of the entire leg. His moment to triumph or fail had come, and the eyes of the world looking upon him to see if he was Champion material...worthy of the gold. There could be no mistakes...no flaws...no room for doubts if he were to do his part towards winning the gold medal for the team. Could he carry that extra, unbalancing weight of a leg brace through his routine of flying, soaring, and twisting, knowing that when he landed he would be facing unutterable pain. How could a gymnast with a broken kneecap possibly withstand the pain, the strain and the impact of a world class dismount from the eight foot high rings? Enthralled, the crowd watched as he performed the aerial ballet on the rings. They held their breath as he sailed off the rings, did a double twist followed by a triple somersault, and landed like an arrow embedded in its target. With tears streaming down his cheeks, he stood ramrod straight, the sign that he had finished his performance. As the cheers erupted the scoreboard lit up with a 9.7 score, winning the gold for his team.  Later, when asked about his motivation, Fujimoto said, "My desire to win was greater than my moment of pain."

    Perhaps you are facing the rings. You've trained and tested for such a moment as this. You've endured some minor setbacks before, but a fresh injury leaves you gasping in pain. This injury surpasses all the others, and for it to come now...just doesn't seem right. Will this injury rob you of your place in the race? Will it hold you back from giving your best? Will you cave in to the pain and distress, or do you have the courage to give it your best, in spite of the pain? Your team is counting on you! Your Church needs you! Your prayer team is depending on you! You can see the finish line ahead. You hear the cheers, the gasps, the doubts echoing all around you... What will you do?

    There are more reasons to keep going than there are to quit. You, like Jacob, may be running with a limp, or like Paul, wounded and beat up. Remember Jesus, who endured the suffering of the cross for the joy that was set before Him. He knew that on the other side of the Cross and the tomb was Resurrection Power and Victory! On the other side of this pain is the gold! On the other side of this pain is great gain! This race is not to the swift or the strong, but to those who endure and keep going!  But keep running! Keep Praising! Keep Singing, because on the other side of this trial lies the prize..the goal..the reward! The pain is temporary, but the prize is eternal!
Go for the Gold!

Pastor Ella Jane Coley