OVER AND OUT

Olympic withdrawal has arrived. Nooooo! How could this be? Two weeks of coming home to a myriad of sports to watch. A highlight of the summer? Absolutely!

Sport that wore me out [WATER POLO] – Can I get a sub please? As I’ve said before, if I am in a body of water… its not going to be used to work out in.

Sport that I watched the most of [SWIMMING] – Two words… WATER CUBE! Luvs it!

Sport that was like “whoa” [SWIMMING - MENS 4 X 100M FREESTYLE RELAY] – Watching and rewatching this race makes my stomach turn like crazy… The race for the Americans looked lost until the end and what a celebration to beat the French after they said they would “smash” the US. This was by far the most exhilarating race.

Sport that I could do without [FENCING] - In my mind, I think The Princess Bride. I think Inigo Montoya vs Count Rugen. None of this, poke here/poke there/check the judges to see who poked first business. I want attacks, withdraws, darting up stairs, leaping onto tables… I want crap knocked over, fierce swings and blocks, advances and backtracks… I guess all that I wanted was a little more action. In my eyes Inigo will always win gold.

Sport that I hung my head in shame twice [TRACK & FIELD - 4 X 100M RELAY] – I think I remember learning to hand off a baton in middle school. *places hand to forehead, looks down, shakes head left… then right and repeats.

Sport that I didn’t watch but heard a great story [DISCUSS] – Stephanie Brown Trafton wasn’t even in the medal forecast having never won a competition outside of the US and had only qualified 3rd best at the Olympics trials. Surprising to all Trafton ended up winning the gold.

Now that’s a great story… but even more interesting to find out is that Trafton was leader of a Bible Study she helped put together in the Olympic Village. Her purpose… to help encourage and support the athletes during their long time away from home and to provide an environment in which they could pray for their needs and thank God for their accomplishments.

Her story is inspiring. Trafton never envisioned herself to be a discuss thrower. Even growing up, she dreamed of being a gymnast until she grew to be 6’4” and soon came to the realization that God had other plans for her life. Never would she have thought that she would stand on the platform, accepting an Olympic gold medal (in discuss!)... But isn’t it amazing how God works as he used her natural born (God given!) talents to place her into an area where she could serve him.

Trafton says it was the verse Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."

“I realized that Christ has the ability to make the impossible possible in my life,"she said. "I believe now that I can do the things that He has placed in my path while looking to Him for strength.”

SIGNED: Something I personally have been wrestling with... as God sometimes calls us to invest in the impossible, trust for the ridiculous and wait for the miraculous... (a follow up post I hope to stem from this and things I took away from Matt's sermon yesterday).

SIGNED AGAIN: Remembering He is LORD (Jer 33:3).