Many fail to appreciate how hard and how long athletes train in order to compete in the Olympics.  The medals are the crowning achievement for those Olympians.

For an eight-month-old child that needs life-saving heart surgery.

Maria Andrejczyk, 25, of Poland, won the silver medal in the Tokyo Olympic javelin event.  Last week, she announced on Facebook that she was auctioning off her medal in order to raise money for 8-month-old Miloszek Malysa, also of Poland, who needs the heart surgery at Stanford University Medical Center in order to survive.

“Miłoszek has a serious heart defect, he needs an operation,” Andrejczyk wrote.  “He already has a head start from Kubus – a boy who didn't make it in time but whose amazing parents decided to pass on the funds they collected … And in this way, I also want to help.  It's for him that I am auctioning my Olympic silver medal.”

The Olympian reported that the family had raised half of the $385,000 needed to cover the cost of transportation and medical care.  Andrejczyk hoped that auctioning off her silver medal would help raise the remaining funds.

“The true value of a medal always remains in the heart,” Andrejczyk said of her decision, via the Times of London.  “A medal is only an object, but it can be of great value to others.  This silver can save lives, instead of collecting dust in a closet.  That is why I decided to auction it to help sick children.”

Zabka, a Polish supermarket chain, won the bid with $125,000.  But the company decided to let Andrejczyk keep the medal.  “We were moved by the beautiful and extremely noble gesture of our Olympian, therefore we decided to support the collection of funds for the sick Miloszek,” the company said in a statement on Facebook.  “We also decided that the silver medal from Tokyo will remain with Ms. Maria, who showed how great she is.” *

None of us can fully understand what Jesus gave up in order to come to this earth to live as a man and then to die a torturous death on the cross for the sins of the world.  Read and reflect on Philippians 2:5-8 and 2 Corinthians 8:9 to get an idea of the sacrifice.  In a sense, He gave up His crown for the cross.

And why would He do that?

Because He loves us and wants to save us from sin.  “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).  The sinless Son of God became man and died on the cross for our sins so that we can be saved and live eternally with Him in heaven.

And because of His selfless sacrifice, God raised Him from the dead and crowned Him with glory and honor (read Philippians 2:9-11).  Now Jesus reigns as King (Acts 2:22-36).

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  He will continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7-9).

Jesus “gave up His crown for a cross” in order to save us.  Having accomplished God’s mission of salvation, He received His crown.  Those who submit their lives to Him can share in His victory.

Won’t YOU?

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from “Polish Olympian auctions off medal to help with infant's heart surgery, but winning bidder won't accept” by Paulina Dedaj of Fox News, www.foxnews.com.

David A. Sargent, Minister

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

Archived issues of Living Water can be viewed and accessed from our website at: www.creekwoodcc.org