The Summer Olympics are wrapping up and the gold medal goes to you! And you know why? Because every day you get up and start anew. Granted,  you may no longer have the carved, subtle muscles of our world’s elite Olympic athletes, but you are a trained warrior in your own right. You. Refuse. To Break. You. Bend. You. Keep. Going.

How many years have you defied the odds and never gave up? You surprised your parents and then your teachers. You showed that bully that you were not going to take the sass. You gained the kudos of your boss and the respect of your co-workers. Dang! Look at you!

Sure you’ve seen your share of pain, disappointment and loss, but you did not stay down and out. You rose from the bench and tossed aside that giving-up towel. No white flag in surrender for you. There’s too much livin’ left in the now. And in tomorrow.

Go Get ‘Em

Run, my friend, continue to run. Go get ‘em. Jump. Stretch. Turn on the afterburners. Your tank is not empty, even if it feels like it is. Deep dig. There is an ample supply of YOU left for your journey. Even if your days and hours are slowing, you’ve still got THIS day.

Breathe in. Exhale. Listen to the roar of the unseen cloud of witnesses around you. The angels flutter their wings in your honor. God Himself smiles when He thinks of you. He beams when He fixes His gaze on you, His forever beloved.

The gold medal goes to you for overpowering the negative of this world. You refuse to buckle and quit. You are not done yet. Just wait and see.

Listen In

But don’t just take it from me. Listen in on a few Olympic medalists who took home the gold several times.

“You take a crash, you get back up, and next time you succeed and that’s a great feeling.”
—Shaun White, American snowboarder and two-time gold medalist

Get back up every time. No matter how long it takes. Success is within your reach.

“Each of us has a fire in our hearts for something. It’s our goal in life to find it and keep it lit.”
—Mary Lou Retton, American gymnast and five-time Olympic medalist

Keep that fire lit, my friend. Keep the matches within reach.

“There is a popular fallacy that falling down is the mark of a poor skater. But the truth is that when one stops falling, he has probably stopped improving.”
—Dick Button, American figure skater and two-time gold medalist

Dare to fall, my friend. You are improving every time you wobble and plop on your figurative keester.

“You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.”
—Michael Phelps, American swimmer and most-decorated Olympian of all time

Enough with the limits we put on our lives. Dream HUGE. Go farther.

Always on Watch

Millions on our planet shriek and scream at the Olympians who lunge across the finish line first or who stick those landings. Or twist over the bar or swish those baskets. No one may ever watch you get back up and limp on. Or cheer when you gain another small victory. God is always in the stands, staying way past when the lights go out.

He waits for you in the parking lot after another grueling day. He’s right there when your head sinks into the pillow. He’s eager to greet you when the sun yawns awake.

You never run alone. You never press on without His notice. You. Refuse. To Break. You. Bend. You. Keep. Going.

Bravo! Way to goooooo! Woot! Woot! The gold medal truly does go to YOU.