SS Thoughts #32: Exercising Faith (2)

I would like to share some stories of athleticism that will hopefully encourage persons to keep exercising their faith:

o   At age 17, Canadian Wayne Gretzky was an athlete intending to pursue a career in ice hockey. However when he tried out for the pros he was told, “You are too small”; “You don’t weigh enough”; “You won’t be able to survive in the rink”. Gretzky DID NOT listen. He practiced and practiced and went on to become the greatest hockey player in history.

o   Rafer Johnson was a decathlon champion. This grueling track and field competition consists of TEN events—long jump, high jump, discus, shot put, pole vault, javelin, 110m hurdles and the 100m, 400m and 1500m sprints. Decathletes are multi-disciplined, and the winner is considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest, athlete in the world. But Rafer Johnson was born with a clubfoot and was not even expected to walk properly!

o   Michael Jordan is arguably the greatest basketball player that ever lived—in a side-by-side comparison, he outperforms Lebron James! But Michael Jordan was dismissed from his high school basketball team for “lack of talent”.

If these athletes could practice and practice to become the best, then you too can exercise your faith in ALL circumstances until it becomes a firm basis to live on, despite the trials and tribulations you face on a daily basis. We have Christ’s promise to be with us along the way. Be encouraged….