He Never Gave Up On Me

John 14:1-4

John 14

Jesus Comforts His Disciples

1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God[a]; trust also in me.  2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.  3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  4 You know the way to the place where I am going." (Jesus says I am the way)

 i. so often this world will get us down, the pressures and the problems

 ii. we start out with good intentions, dreams, goals and aspirations

a.  and then we tend to lose tract of our direction,

b.  we become distracted, and lose sight of what lies ahead

iii. but God just like the father of the prodigal son never gives up on us, he is standing with his arms open wide, he is the potter and we are the clay, he is waiting to put us back together again.

Its not how you start, its how you finish, we may make mistakes, fall down, lost our way, but Jesus stands there waiting for us to turn around.

There is a time to die. And there is a time for something new to be born. And when this transition is going on we can feel very blue. But even our feelings of sadness are a gift- they move us to our knees, seeking God’s guidance and support. They lead us to community, to find a place where others have been moved to their knees by the burdens of life. They lead us to a strength that comes from outside of us and lifts us up.

I remember a story of the Olympic runner Derek Redmond.

He was a young British runner one who had sky rocketed to fame by shattering his country’s 400-meter record at age 19. But then an Achilles tendon injury forced him to withdraw from the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. He endured five separate surgeries. When the Summer Olympics arrived in Barcelona in 1992, Redmond was absolutely aching for a medal.

On the day of the 400-meter race, 65,000 fans streamed into the stadium anxious to witness one of sports’ most thrilling events. High in the stands is Derek’s father, Jim, a faithful witness to every one of his son’s world competitions. According to ESPN, Jim is wearing a T-shirt that reads, “Have you hugged your foot today?”

The race begins and Derek breaks through the pack to seize the lead. Heading down the backstretch, only 175 meters from the finish line, Derek is a shoo-in to win this semifinal heat and qualify for the Olympic finals.

But then Derek hears a pop. It’s his right hamstring. He pulls up lame, looking as if he has been shot. His leg quivering, Derek begins to hop on the other leg, and then he slows down and falls to the track. Medical personnel run toward him as he sprawls on the ground, holding his right hamstring.

At the very same moment, there is a stir at the top of the stands. Jim Redmond, seeing his son in trouble, begins to race down from the top row. He is pushing toward the track, sidestepping some people and bumping into others. He has no right or credential or permission to be on the track, but all he can think about is getting to his son, to help him up. He is absolutely single-minded about this, and isn’t going to be stopped by anyone.

On the track, Derek realizes that his dream of an Olympic medal is gone. He is alone. The other runners streak across the finish line, with Steve Lewis of the United States winning the race. He is orphaned, as it was, a lonely figure on the track, friendless, parentless, and alone.

Tears pour down Derek’s face, and all he can think is, “I don’t want to take a DNF.” A Did-Not-Finish was not even part of his vocabulary. When the medical crew arrives with a stretcher, Derek tells them, “No, there’s no way I’m getting on that stretcher. I’m going to finish my race.” And so he lifts himself to his feet, ever so slowly and carefully, and he starts hobbling down the track.  Suddenly, the crowd realizes that Derek isn’t dropping out of the race. He isn’t limping off the track in defeat, but is actually continuing on one leg, in a fiercely determined effort to make it to the finish line. One painful step at a time, each one a little slower and more agonizing than the one before, Derek limps onward, and the crowd begins to cheer for him. The fans rise to their feet and their cries grow louder and louder, building into a thundering roar.

At that moment, Jim Redmond reaches the bottom of the stands, vaults over the railing, dodges a security guard, and runs out to his son — with two security people running after him.

Jim reaches his son at the final curve, about 120 meters from the finish line, and wraps his arm around his waist. “I’m here, son,” Jim says gently, hugging his boy. “We’ll finish together.”

Derek puts his arms around his father’s shoulders and sobs. Together, arm in arm, father and son struggle toward the finish line with 65,000 people cheering, clapping and crying. Just a few steps from the end, with the crowd in an absolute frenzy, Jim releases the grip he has on his son so that Derek can cross the finish line by himself.

For those of you who are struggling in anyway with a major change in your life- a new school, an empty nest, a different job, a loss of a dream- this is your season to be lifted up. Jesus promised that he would send the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, One who is here for you, to meet your needs, to teach you the truth about what you are going through. You are not an orphan, alone with your feelings. If you love Jesus Christ and do your best to keep His commandments, the Holy Spirit will live in you, comforting and strengthening you, helping you move from season to season in the palm of God’s hand.

Jesus is coming down out of the stands and running towards you even today. Let him lift you up. He’ll help you finish your race. Your life isn’t over just because it isn’t what you had dreamed it would be, it isn’t the same as yesterday. It’s not over until you’ve crossed the finish line and looked back and realize that Jesus helped you through all those days when you felt most alone.  Amen.