Perry Martins
A Daddy’s Shoulders!
It was the summer Olympics of 1992. It was the quarter finals of the 400 metre sprint. British athlete Derek Redmond was one of the favourites for the gold medal. A lifetime of training had brought him to this moment. The starters gun fired and the athletes burst out of the blocks.
Halfway through the race Derek Redmond was leading. Then disaster struck. His hamstring went and he collapsed on the track. The agony on his tear streaked face was both physical and mental. It was a crushing blow.
Medical attendants ran to assist him. Derek waved them away. He came to race and he was going to finish. He got to his feet and started hobbling down the track.
The crowd was mesmerized. Officials didn’t know what to do. And then an older man ran onto the track. He brushed off officials who tried to stop him. He ran up beside Derek and placed his arms around him.
The man was Derek Redmond’s father, Jim.
“You don’t have to do this son” Jim said.
“Yes I do” Derek replied.
“Then we’ll finish this race together” came the response from Derek’s father.
Arm in arm, with agony on Derek’s face, tears on his father’s, Derek and Jim continued down the track. Derek buried his face in his father’s shoulder. His father’s strong shoulders carried his son physically and emotionally. Jim waved away officials who tried to stop them.
Finally, accompanied by a now roaring crowd, standing on their feet and applauding, Derek Redmond crossed the line. It became the defining moment of the Barcelona Olympics.
This day we salute the Fathers – their sacrifice to make us what we are today. They may not be much educated or social or intelligent as we may want. But they will remain our Dad, our hero for ever.
Today, we also want to let you know of a God, who has invited us to be His precious children. We by our nature hated good. Though we dress the best outwardly, our heart and our thoughts always stayed a garbage can. And this life of ours only deserved punishment from a good God.
But God instead of punishing us, out of His rich love gave His son as a sacrifice for our punishment, so that we now have no punishment to bear but have access to God, to be His child. If you would be wise enough, dear reader, to give Him your life, He promises to carry you on His dependable shoulders all through life’s journey.
God who counts the stars and calls them by their name is in no danger of forgetting His own children.
