Hansle Parchment is competing in this year’s Summer Olympics representing Jamaica and will be running in the 110 meter hurdles. He is in Paris to defend the gold medal he earned in Tokyo.
Only he almost didn’t. At the last Olympics, Hansle had boarded the wrong bus to the semifinals for his event. He was heading in the opposite direction and by the time he discovered it, he had little hope of making it to qualifications for this once-every-four year opportunity. His expectation to repeat Olympic gold seemed over.
In a desperate attempt, he asked a volunteer for help. With a generous heart, she gave him money to take a taxi to the proper location. After hastily warming up, he not only qualified, he went on to defeat USA’s Grant Holloway for the gold medal.
According to Olympics.com, Parchment later found this woman and returned the borrowed money, showed her his medal and gave her a Jamaican shirt. His government also rewarded her by offering to fly her to the Caribbean for a visit. Her small act of kindness not only blessed Hansle but benefited her as well even though she had no idea at the time of the outcomes of her simple gesture.
This reminds us to look for opportunities to bless others. We may not be in Paris, but there are people around us every day who need a taxi fare, an encouraging word, or a square meal. These may not be much to us, but they could make a world of difference to them. In addition, God is able to credit to our accounts whatever time and money these deeds might have cost us and He pays good interest.
But there’s another important lesson to learn. Plenty of people have already boarded the wrong bus and are headed away from heaven. They have jumped on one that says “Good Works” or “Baptism” or “Parents’ Religion” little realizing that none of these will deliver them to the Pearly Gates. Though Christians should be baptized, do good works, and follow Christian examples, these acts don’t run the route to glory.
There’s only one way to spend eternity with God and that’s repenting of sins and asking Jesus to save us. We must jump off the bus we’re on and flag down our Taxi Driver who has been waiting for us to do exactly that. He’s already paid our full fare with His blood and is eager for us to hop in.
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him. All other busses are headed in the wrong direction no matter how nice the drivers are or how beautifully the busses are painted. Jesus is the only way to get to the destination where we will not earn gold medals, but walk on golden streets. If you never have, switch busses today and invite Jesus to get you to where you really want to go.
George Bowers – Executive Board Member
