The Morning Show with Mike & Susan

I’ve been watching the Olympics at night – like so many others – I watch the snowboarders and ‘ am amazed about the things they can do on that little board!  I’ve watched ski jumpers fly through the air and wonder at their courage.  I’ve cried tears for the lost olympian from Georgia who died on the track while still training and never actually made it to the dream of his lifetime and competing in the 2010 Olympics…heartbreaking!

I’ve seen the curling, and although I have said I don’t get it…I’ve understood the “sport” better after I heard from upset curlers in the Houston area explaining to me what a skill it takes. Thanks for your calls and emails…I am sorry I didn’t like your “sport” and you can quit now.  In your honor I watched the match between Japan and the U.S. this week…and was bummed with the last measurement going to Japan! So, see..I paid attention.

But I’m learning alot more than how to curl by watching the Olympics!  I’ve learned some strong spiritual lessons watching the athletes perform.   One of the things I’ve learned was from watching speed skaters and snowboard cross.  I know that many of the athletes that were there for the Olympics are aware going in that they are not favored to win…in some cases they are the first if only athlete from their country to compete in Winter games…and know going in that they likely won’t wear the gold – but they continue to do THEIR best…it’s not about besting the others – but besting their own past times/scores.  Yet, they train hard and compete hard and find joy and satisfaction in the experience itself and not in only the winning of the Gold.

I’ve watched figure skaters with great grace.  I’ve watched the best of the best fall and fall hard in the early moments of their program….I’ve seen them spin away on their hind side and have seen them simply hop up and resume the program with the same aplomb they had when they entered the arena.  They didn’t alter their routine to shrink from the rest of it…they continued to attack the spins and jumps as though there had been no fall.  I thought, if I hadn’t seen that first fall, and had come into this routine moments after it, I wouldn’t have even known anything had ever hinted that it wasn’t perfect.

It made me think about our spiritual “race” that we are to run.  It made me think about the times that I’ve allowed the fact that someone was better than me to keep me from doing MY best in a situation…whether that’s thinking I’m not as good a Bible teacher as Beth Moore, (few are) or thinking I’m not as good a singer as Natalie Grant…and for a moment thinking that would be reason enough not to sing, not to teach.

It’s not about besting them…it’s about offering my best for God!  He doesn’t need me to be the very best…He needs me to be My Best for Him!  Sometimes we have to just get up keep trying!