Kiprotich - a reflection of God's Glory!

“I always keep it in mind. I dream that I can maybe look like John Akii-Bua in time. Today, I joined the champions. I’m happy for that.” 

My tear glands act up each time I see a picture of Kiprotich running to the finish line with the Ugandan flag flying over his head.

I’m drawn to his simplicity, the humility sculpted on his face from years of struggle, hard ship, pain and determination. His dream finally fulfilled.

 Two joyful parents.

His family, excited at the news of his victory. It is beautiful!

Kiprotich brought home gold! The only medal for the country at the 2012 Olympics, the only gold medal since John Akii-Bua some 40 years ago, it is beautiful!

“Being unknown, now I am known,” the gentle and gracious Kiprotich said. “I am happy now that I am a known athlete.”

Kip was hardly known before he won the 2012 Olympics men’s marathon. He was probably not famous in his village, but he wished and prayed for this moment. Could he have been created for this moment? Has he fulfilled his purpose here? May be in part?

His experience reminds me of 2 bible stories:

John 1:45 - 51

Nathanael heard about Jesus and questioned if anything good could come out of Nazareth;

 ⁴⁵ Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote —Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

⁴⁶ “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.

⁴⁷ When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.”

⁴⁸ “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

⁴⁹ Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”

⁵⁰ Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.”  He then added, “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Ugandan’s wondered whether anything good could come out of their own country and ta-da! Kip did it!.

2 Samuel 12: 1-3

“The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. ² The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, ³ but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.”

I compare two Gold medalists who are worlds apart; Usain Bolt, fascinating, even funny, he hushes his naysayers’ as he crosses the finish line and then strikes his signature pause. He has got it and he knows. Kiprotich on the other hand breaks new ground, humbly, when we least expected it.

America won over 50 medals, we won just one and how we treasure it.

I hope Kip doesn’t get corrupted by genuine and not so genuine offers that will come his way. I’m glad he has a wife and kids, sudden fame brings girls out of the wood works too you know.

Kiprotich you've made Ugandans proud, raised our drooping heads. You have touched my life and pointed me to scripture. Isn't that what God would have each of our lives be? A reflection of His Glory!

2012 Olympics! How is it going with you?

The London 2012 Olympics are quickly drawing to a close and I haven't watched a single sport. I should shut up and go embarrass myself elsewhere right? For a girl who grew up in a sporty family with memories of Munich, Helsinki, Barcelona, Singapore..., it's pathetic! Blame NBC for their greedy monopoly. Showing the opening ceremony several hours after the fact was just wrong. I could have watched the ceremony in office, if they had shown it live for example. Secondly (maybe more importantly), I don't have cable nor do I have friends whom I can budge in on for a few hours of TV. How much worse can it get?

Not all hope is lost.  Thanks to newspapers and Internet, I've seen and read about Gaby, Phelps, Mugula, Bolt, Kipsiro, Nzikuru ... I  like the photos. The lens captures expressions and holds them in that moment for ever; the determination, commitment, and focus curved on their faces. The muscle tone and posture, clearly a result of hard work and grueling training. Sleepless nights, planning and calculating moves, dreaming about opponents and how to kick butt.
Paul picked the right image to illustrate our walk of salvation - it's easy to comprehend through the Olympic eye.

I Corinthians 9: 24 - 27

^24-25You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally.

 ^26-27I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've got. No sloppy living for me! I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.

Hebrews 12:1 - 3
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ² Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

The Message version.
"Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!"

The joy of winning a race. I have seen the tears of exhilaration and those of disappointment. The pressure is intoxicating, it either builds or breaks. Keep your eyes on the prize because, when your hair becomes an issue just know, the yapping  will never stop.

Keep your eyes on the prize

Determination

It's never easy

Oh! the joy of winning

Pure bliss

So, how are you doing in your race? Are you training hard? Do you see the goal? Does attaining that Gold medal consume you? What about the obstacles? Are you clearing them or putting them there?

Lonely but not alone

Lost in the vast expanse of place and people

People gently and violently dying

Craving, longing, yearning for a touch, a smile

A sign of recognition

Not aware of the need but wanting it all the same

Cold, blank stares everywhere

Mechanical beings walk the streets

Heartless empty eyes stare into space

Searching for something they don’t know

Look into my eyes

What do you see?

More of you or something else?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 This poem is birthed out of a corner of my life,  a strange unfamiliar, familiar place.

When life takes a turn

I dialed her number. I didn’t know what to say, my heart was breaking.
She said “Hello!” and I felt like my heart was being squished. She spoke in a monotone, flat, lifeless - drab, just getting the words out, that was all, just getting the words out.

“Mary, my baby is gone”
“Mary, we did all we could, we tried everything”.
“You think, only 11 years and then again, all the 11 years”

I wanted to scream. "WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT??!!" This is absolutely insane.

Pants on fire

It feels like Huckleberry Fin and Tom Sawyer merged into one. It’s the quick answers, the fidgeting; the shaky pupils afraid to make eye contact, all in an effort to hide something.

My young man is tangled in the lying web and he can’t save himself. As soon as he shakes his hand free, his leg gets caught. The web is all over his hair and face – an endless cycle. Just when he thinks he has figured it out mom and dad carefully unpack the story right before his eyes. At times there is an innocence to it and he will in fact give himself away, but other times wickedness rears its head without disguise and I want to scream. Alas! This is a contract that Adam signed for each of us as we came into this world.

When he said he’d done all his homework and he hadn’t. When he said he’d brushed his teeth and the tooth brush was as dry as the Sahara. Then the DS he brought home that was given to him by his teacher for doing an excellent job in class. A few more questions and the story tanned like a chameleon crawling over a rainbow. He couldn’t decide just how to connect the tale.
How could my baby lie to me? I was furious!
What happened to the safety he felt with mom and dad? When did trust fly out the window?
I felt like I had failed at parenting, at creating a safe environment to tell mommy the truth. Then I was reminded how we are all infected with Adam’s sin. Slowly the picture of a cute, innocent, trusting little human being begins to fade.

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

All? Including the cooing baby just starting to make sense of his surroundings? The baby unable to speak or “think” (as we define it)?
The very fact of our existence; the essence of our being is a sentence.
A taste of what God must have felt in the garden when Adam and Eve hid.

I failed again with my response. I failed to stay calm, to love him despite of the act. I erupted! “Lying is a sin, liars go to hell, and the devil is the father of lies”. He recoiled.

Such a selfish act on my part, I was more concerned about the "purity" being tarnished instead of the person inside. Why the fables and tales? What was going on inside? Was there cause for him to lie? Was he afraid of my reaction?

How do I build this trust again? How do I communicate that I love him but lying is wrong? How do I awaken his conscience to the ugliness of lies? How do I teach him the importance of being earnest? Is it a phase? Should I ignore it? Am I being too harsh?