Skate for the Joy of Skating
Wednesday, December 27, 2023
Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You. Ps. 5:11, NKJV.
Winter Olympics, 1988. Calgary. The headlines blared: “Going for the Gold: East Germany’s Katarina Witt v. Debi Thomas From the United States.” Who would win the gold metal in women’s figure skating?
The final competition fell on Saturday night. Our family watched TV with breathless silence as Katarina skated a perfect performance. She took no chances, skating only the requirements, no extra spins or jumps, and no mistakes.
Debi was to skate at the end, and since I really wasn’t interested in the other skaters, I went to take a shower.
Suddenly I heard the kids scream, “Mom, come quickly. You won’t believe this!” Throwing a towel around myself, I raced to the TV and stood there dripping wet as Elizabeth Manley, an “unknown” Canadian, electrified the crowd. The possibility of obtaining the gold medal was out of her hands. Not worried about perfection, she pulled out all the stops and whistles and skated merely for the joy of skating-and for her country. She put her whole heart into the performance of a lifetime. The crowd erupted in spontaneous cheers.
You know the end of the story. The pressure was too much for Debi. She fell twice and finished third, with the silver going to Elizabeth and the gold to Katarina.
We live our lives much like those three skaters. Some are so focused on “going for the gold” that they follow the rules to the letter of the law. Terribly correct, their goal is perfection. And they make most of the people around them miserable-and probably themselves too.
Others find the pressure too much. They stumble, fall, and may even give up their faith.
Then there are those who pull out all the stops of life’s possibilities. They realize that on their own they can never do enough to deserve the gold. It’s a gift from Jesus. So they skate not for perfection, but for the joy of skating-and for their God.
Which skater are you?
Are you praying for the joy of praying, studying the Bible for the joy of studying, and keeping His commandments for the joy of obedience, or are you so busy being terribly correct that you’re in danger of slipping, or of making yourself and others miserable? God wants you to be joyful in Him.
Winter Olympics, 1988. Calgary. The headlines blared: “Going for the Gold: East Germany’s Katarina Witt v. Debi Thomas From the United States.” Who would win the gold metal in women’s figure skating?
The final competition fell on Saturday night. Our family watched TV with breathless silence as Katarina skated a perfect performance. She took no chances, skating only the requirements, no extra spins or jumps, and no mistakes.
Debi was to skate at the end, and since I really wasn’t interested in the other skaters, I went to take a shower.
Suddenly I heard the kids scream, “Mom, come quickly. You won’t believe this!” Throwing a towel around myself, I raced to the TV and stood there dripping wet as Elizabeth Manley, an “unknown” Canadian, electrified the crowd. The possibility of obtaining the gold medal was out of her hands. Not worried about perfection, she pulled out all the stops and whistles and skated merely for the joy of skating-and for her country. She put her whole heart into the performance of a lifetime. The crowd erupted in spontaneous cheers.
You know the end of the story. The pressure was too much for Debi. She fell twice and finished third, with the silver going to Elizabeth and the gold to Katarina.
We live our lives much like those three skaters. Some are so focused on “going for the gold” that they follow the rules to the letter of the law. Terribly correct, their goal is perfection. And they make most of the people around them miserable-and probably themselves too.
Others find the pressure too much. They stumble, fall, and may even give up their faith.
Then there are those who pull out all the stops of life’s possibilities. They realize that on their own they can never do enough to deserve the gold. It’s a gift from Jesus. So they skate not for perfection, but for the joy of skating-and for their God.
Which skater are you?
Are you praying for the joy of praying, studying the Bible for the joy of studying, and keeping His commandments for the joy of obedience, or are you so busy being terribly correct that you’re in danger of slipping, or of making yourself and others miserable? God wants you to be joyful in Him.
Used by permission of Health Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.
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