By Rae Lynn DeAngelis
When our son, Ben, made up his mind to do something, there was no stopping him, a trait that exasperated me when he was a toddler. (Ladies if you have a strong willed child, be encouraged. It can work to their advantage down the road.)
Ben loved sports when he was young and was always involved in something. One year he decided to join the local swim team. After working hard at each practice, Ben came to his first swim meet ready to win. His first event was the 200 freestyle.
The swimmers were crouched in the starting positions waiting for the signal to start. When the buzzer went off, Ben pushed off the block and dove into the pool. He was off to a great start, but when he came up out of the water, I noticed his goggles had slipped down onto the middle of his face. He quickly adjusted them back into position and took off swimming as fast as he could, hoping to make up for lost time.
With each lap, Ben began passing other swimmers. Gerry and I were cheering as loud as we could, “Go Ben, go!!” As he pushed off the wall for his last turn, Ben was in second place and gaining ground quickly. He and his competitor were side by side and it looked like it was going to be a tie. But at the last second, Ben extended his arm for the wall and finished the race in first place. My husband and I were jumping up and down with excitement.
But a few minutes later, the announcer began listing the swimmers who had placed. Ben did not win after all! In fact, he had been disqualified from the race because he had re-adjusted his googles, apparently a big no-no.
It was a hard lesson to learn, but a lesson our son would not soon forget. Now I understand why swimmers spend so much time adjusting their goggles before each race.
A couple of years later, Ben’s goggles fell off again; but this time he kept on swimming. His event was a 200 meter Medley, a race where he had to swim 50 meters, two laps of each of the following strokes: butterfly, back, breast, and freestyle. As a parent, it was agonizing to watch our son struggle to swim with the goggles halfway down his face, but there was no way Ben was going let this obstacle disqualify him again. He never touched his face, even though he could barely see.
Not only did Ben finish the race, he actually placed 3rd overall! With a sigh of relief, Gerry and I couldn’t have been more proud. Not because Ben placed, but because our son pushed past the pain and kept on going.
What about you? Are you pushing past the pain when things get tough, giving it all you’ve got?
Don’t let the obstacles in your path disqualify you from the race.
“You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth” (Galatians 5:7)?
The enemy may throw obstacles along your path in the form of trials, tribulations, or temptations, but just like it was with our son, you need to keep moving forward, steady and strong. Push through the pain and don’t give up. God has something amazing for you on the other side.
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24).
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:1-3).
