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A
Higher Priority
At
the Olympic Games in Paris in 1924, the favored team
in the four-man canoe race was the United States team.
One member of that team was a young man by the name of
Bill Havens. As the time for the Olympics neared, it
became clear that Bill's wife would give birth to her
first child about the time that Bill was scheduled to
compete.
So Bill found himself in a dilemma. Should he go to
Paris and risk not being at his wife's side when their
first child was born?
Or should he withdraw from the team
and remain behind?
Bill's
wife insisted that he go to Paris. After all, he had
been working toward this goal for many years; it would
be the culmination of a life-long dream. After much
soul searching, Bill decided to withdraw from the
competition and remain behind with his wife so that he
could be with her when their first child arrived. Bill
considered being
at her side a higher priority than going to Paris to
try to win an Olympic Gold medal.
The
United States four-man canoe team won the gold medal
at the Paris Olympics.
But Bill had no regrets.
His family was more important to him than the
Olympics.
Bill was present when his wife gave birth to
their baby boy whom they named Frank.
Twenty-eight
years later, in 1952, Bill received a cablegram from
Frank. It was sent from Helsinki, Finland, where the
1952 Olympics were being held. The cablegram read:
Dear Dad,
Thanks for waiting around
for me to be born in 1924.
I’m coming home with the gold medal you
should have won.
Your loving son,
Frank
Frank
Havens was bringing home the Olympic gold medal for
the 10,000-meter canoeing event.
Now he wanted to share his medal with the one
who set aside his own personal dreams for a higher
priority: his son. *
Establishing
proper priorities ultimately brings the greatest
rewards – like no regrets and deeper joys.
What
are those “higher priorities” that need to be
established in OUR lives?
Jesus said, "’Love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul and with
all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest
commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your
neighbor as yourself'” (Matthew 22:37-39).
Loving
God supremely and loving others unselfishly –
beginning with your family!
These are the top priorities!
And living by these priorities brings the
greater blessings.
Jesus
said, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John
14:15). Love
for God will motivate us to submit our lives to Him: believing
in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turning from sin in repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confessing
Christ (Romans 10:9-10), being baptized
into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts
2:38). Love
for God will also motivate us to continue to
follow His will which includes loving others (1
John 4:20).
Are
YOUR priorities in order?
David
A. Sargent,
Minister
Church
of Christ at Creekwood
1901
Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
* Adapted from Steve
Goodier
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