It's that time again -- the time when the world gathers together and watches in awe as the best of the best in every sport you can imagine compete to be known as the greatest in the world. Elite athletes from 200 countries have their eyes on a shiny gold medal, the symbol proclaiming a legacy. We watch as these seemingly superhuman athletes step onto a podium, and are adorned with that shiny gold medal. As we see this take place, it can cause us to place these athletes on a mental pedestal, thinking that being better than us in athletics also means a better God-given destiny.
Watching female swimmers completely dominate last night, I couldn't help but wonder to myself how much different my life would be if I was in their place. If I had taken up swimming or gymnastics or rowing as a kid, training with determination in the hopes of one day representing the United States in the Olympics. I watch as people my age and even younger are doing incredible feats as they compete with "USA" embroidered on their uniforms, and think about how much they have already accomplished at such a young age. It can be easy to take their destiny and compare it to our own, feeling as though we have accomplished very little when looking at Olympic caliber athletes. I was feeling discouraged as I continued watching, until a simple yet weighty thought came across my mind -- if we were all destined to be Olympic athletes, wouldn't that defeat the purpose of the Olympics? The whole purpose of the event is to celebrate those who have the most incredible athletic abilities that humankind has ever seen, because not everyone does.
God has given us all a destiny, a calling, or whatever word you prefer to call it, each of them completely unique and intentionally designed for you and your gifts. I think that this is something we all know, but it can be hard to believe when we do not see the physical proof of our said destiny playing before our eyes. As we watch Olympic athletes we must remember that many of them are reaching the climax of their destinies now. Some will have to wait another four years as they train and prepare for the following Olympics. God does not work in a specific order or timeline. We are not all supposed to have our destinies in sight by the time we're 24. Just as our destinies are unique, so is the timeline. Things will fall into place, but it may take more waiting, work and preparation than we expect.
Although it's cheesy and cliche it's true: don't compare someone else's highlight reel to your behind-the-scenes. As we watch these athletes, we see the epitome of their careers. We do not, however, see all the difficulties in training and preparation leading up to this moment. Remember that all of your hard work, your struggles, your frustration, they have a purpose. They are not useless. If your destiny comes into full view before adequate preparation and struggle you will not be able to fully enjoy it.
As you watch the Olympics this year, celebrate the athlete's destinies, and celebrate that God gave you a completely unique one.
