Plan de Devocionales Olímpicos: Lucha y TriunfoMuestra

"Cuando tus Sueños se Estrellan"

After Lauryn Williams ran her first event in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, tragedy struck.

Lauryn had just earned a silver medal in the 100 meters and her father, who had watched from the grandstands, had to be hospitalized with leukemia. Doctors weren't sure if he would live. He encouraged Lauryn not to worry about him and, instead, to prepare for her next race. To the best of her ability, she followed his advice.

Now back on the track ready to run the final leg of the 4x100 meter relay, Lauryn watched her teammate Marion Jones race toward her with the baton in her hand.

Reaching back, Lauryn began running, waiting for the baton that didn’t come. Marion slowed down as Lauryn sped up, and they missed the handoff.

Lauryn had stepped out of the exchange zone, disqualifying the team. Disappointed, she couldn’t believe what had happened.

“I just embarrassed our whole country. This is all my fault,” she thought. “What am I going to do next?” After the botched race, Sonya Richards Ross prayed with Lauryn, reminding her that she would survive this.

Leaving the stadium, Lauryn faced reporters asking questions she didn’t know how to answer. She hadn’t yet had time to figure it out herself. She had been part of a very fast relay team with high hopes of breaking the world record when the unthinkable happened. “There is no way to get through a moment like that without faith in the Lord. It’s just really a hard experience.”

When she encountered failure, Lauryn turned toward her God as her hope, her shield and her glory. She allowed God's unfailing love to comfort her. On our most difficult days, we, too, can allow God’s love to uphold us.

Question: What hard thing are you facing right now? How will you trust God to carry you through it?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, you see the difficult places in my life today. Help me trust you to make it through them.

Kenyan Wilson Kipsang, one of the fastest long-distance runners in the world, won an Olympic bronze medal and has been a world record holder in the marathon. He raced to victory in cities like London, Berlin, Frankfurt, and New York City.

Modeling what it means to live one’s life fully devoted to Jesus Christ is Wilson’s primary purpose. He wants his athletic success to be a platform for helping other runners, his fans and his Kenyan countrymen. He runs that others might catch a glimpse of Him.

Winning races is not his first goal or prime passion. While he receives joy and energy from God when he runs, finishing first is not his purpose.

Wilson is singularly devoted to Jesus. Drifting from his first love, Jesus, is what he fears the most. He does not want to wake up one day to find that he has settled for things of personal glory and fading value.

Doing the right thing is trusting God and gripping His Word, no matter what others may say or do. “If (I) have faith, then I am not alone. The Holy Spirit is there. God is with me to advise me, to take care of me,” Wilson says. “I will always know that I am doing the right thing, and I will always try to listen to the voice of God.”

Question: When you wake up tomorrow morning, will you do the right thing by committing yourself to keeping Christ Lord and intentionally walking with Him throughout your day? Make it a priority to spend time in your Bible, meeting in private with Christ. Will you read His Word, meditate on it, and then ask Him for wisdom as to how you are to apply it each day? Or will you launch into your day striving to attain things of lesser value?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I humbly ask You to burn into my easily distracted heart a committed love and thirst for You and Your Holy Word, the Bible. Give me the courage and resolve to hourly surrender all of my life to You for Your purposes and Your glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.Prayer: Heavenly Father, I humbly ask You to burn into my easily distracted heart a committed love and thirst for You and Your Holy Word, the Bible. Give me the courage and resolve to hourly surrender all of my life to You for Your purposes and Your glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Después de que Lauryn Williams corriera su primer evento en los Juegos Olímpicos de 2004 en Atenas, Grecia, ocurrió una tragedia.

Lauryn había ganado una medalla de plata en los 100 metros y su padre, que la vio desde las gradas, tuvo que ser hospitalizados con leucemia. Los médicos no estaban seguros de si iba a vivir. El animó a Lauryn a que no se preocupara por él sino que se preparara para la siguiente prueba. Ella siguió su consejo lo mejor que pudo.

De vuelta en la pista, lista para correr el tramo final del relevo de 4x100 metros, Lauryn observó a su compañera Marion Jones corriendo hacia ella con el testigo en la mano.

Cuando estaba llegando, Lauryn empezó a correr esperando coger el testigo que no llegaba. A la vez que Marion paraba, Lauryn aceleraba y perdieron el traspaso.

Lauryn había salido de la zona de cambio, descalificando al equipo. Decepcionada, no podía creer lo que había sucedido.

“Avergoncé a todo nuestro país. Todo esto es mi culpa", pensó. "¿Qué voy a hacer ahora?" Después de la carrera fallida, Sonia Richards Ross oró con Lauryn, recordándole que sobreviviría a esto.

Al salir del estadio , Lauryn se enfrentó a los periodistas que hacían preguntas que no sabía cómo responder. Aún no había tenido tiempo de averiguarlo. Ella era parte de un equipo de relevos muy rápido y con grandes esperanzas de romper el récord mundial cuando ocurrió lo impensable. "No hay manera de atravesar un momento como este sin fe en el Señor. Es una experiencia realmente dura."

Cuando se encontró con el fracaso, Lauryn se volvió hacia Dios como su esperanza, su escudo y su gloria. Ella permitió que la misericordia de Dios la consolara. En nuestros días más difíciles, nosotros, también , podemos permitir que el amor de Dios nos sostenga.

Pregunta: ¿A qué dificultad te estás enfrentando en este momento? ¿Cómo vas confiar en Dios para que te lleve a través de esta?

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Oración: Padre Celestial, tu ves los lugares difíciles de mi vida hoy. Ayudame a confiar en Ti al atravesarlos.

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