How to Correct Your Course Before You Drift Too Far
But there's also a list of lovable losers, people who did not win anything, not first or second or third place, but because they refuse to give up, they live on in our hearts. One of those was a guy named Derek Redman, 1992 Barcelona,…
Notice what happens between people
But there's also a list of lovable losers, people who did not win anything, not first or second or third place, but because they refuse to give up, they live on in our hearts. One of those was a guy named Derek Redman, 1992 Barcelona, running the 400 meters, tore his hamstring halfway through, stumbling along, his father comes out of the stands and assists him down to the very last moments when his father lets him go and he crosses the finish line on his own.
But we're excited about the fact that he never gave up, our heart strings tugged by the love of his father, because they just kept going.
Listen beneath the surface
Eventually, by 1984, those same Los Angeles Olympics, he was able to compete in a two-man sailing competition for the country of Canada. But every good story, resilience story, has to have some setbacks, devoted his life, lived in a van, lost in his first attempt, but he would not be deterred.
And so four years later in 1988, in Seoul Korea, in the East China Sea, he got his last opportunity.
Choose a better response
In fact, he's not even really interested in a goal unless it's going to cost him something, and he sticks with them to the end. We were talking about how we're both getting better and better shape and more active and deepening trust in God and all those kinds of things.
And then it kind of hit us, this was a handful of weeks back, that that stuff really only matters if we're using it to serve other people.
Practice it in real life
But just remember, because of the needs of others, sometimes the right decision is sailing off course. As always, please consider sharing this with people in your life who you think we can help.
And whatever you do today in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, excel still more.
Take the idea with you.
- 01Where does the central idea of “How to Correct Your Course Before You Drift Too Far” show up most clearly in my life right now?
- 02What does this episode call me to believe, stop, start, or handle differently?
- 03What is one specific action I can take today instead of merely agreeing with the idea?
Listen to the original episode
This article was adapted from Episode 55 · Sailing Off Course. Continue with the podcast for the original teaching in Kris’s voice.
Explore books by Kris Emerson
Go beyond a single article with Christ-centered books and daily resources designed for Scripture, spiritual growth, and practical discipleship.