When Rick Hoyt was born, the umbilical cord coiled around his neck and cut off oxygen to his brain, leaving him a quadriplegic. His parents, Dick and Judy, were told that there was no hope for their child's development. Despite being told Rick would be a vegetable all his life, his parents were determined to raise him as normally as possible. Since Rick was unable to speak, a group of engineers built him a specially designed interactive computer that allowed him to communicate his thoughts by using the slight head movements that he could manage.

At the age of 15, Rick told his father he wanted to participate in a five-mile benefit run for a local lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Out of love for his son, Dick, who had never previously done any long-distance running, agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair. They finished next-to-last, but were elated with their achievement. Overwhelmed by the experience, Rick managed to communicate to his parents that for the first time in his life, competing in that race, he didn't feel disabled. Spurred on by this revelation, father and son, "Team Hoyt," began entering more races.

After four years of marathons, they attempted their first triathlon—a combination of 26.2 miles of running, 112 miles of cycling and 2.4 miles of swimming. To date, they have raced in 64 marathons (with a personal best of 2:40:47), 78 half-marathons and 206 triathlons. And they once trekked 3,735 miles across America. Their achievements become all the more staggering when you consider that when Dick runs, he pushes Rick in his wheelchair. When Dick cycles, Rick is in a specially designed seat attached to the front of his bike. When Dick swims, he pulls Rick in a heavy, stabilized boat attached to his waist.

Watching film footage of Team Hoyt competing together is phenomenally moving. Driven by love for his son and a desire to see him fulfilled, Dick has gone to unimaginable lengths to make Rick feel alive. In every race, it is the father, Dick, who does all the work, giving every ounce of strength for the sake of his son. Rick cannot offer any physical support—in fact, he only makes more work for his father. But witness Dick's affirmation of his son and watch Rick's face as he crosses the finish line, and you might think that the son had won the race single handedly.

The story of Dick and Rick Hoyt is a powerful reminder of our Father's love for and commitment to us—the Father, who gave everything that we might know life in all its fullness. Holding nothing back, the Father delights in us, sings over us, chases after us, cares deeply about us and sent his only Son to die for us.

What is our only possible response to this extravagant love? To hold nothing back in return.

This article is adapted from Holding Nothing Back: Embracing the Mystery of God by Tim Hughes (Regal). Tim is a respected worship leader and songwriter ("Here I am to Worship," "Consuming Fire," "Beautiful One"). In Holding Nothing Back, he challenges readers to look deeply into the character and nature of God in order to take worship to a whole new level. Find Tim's book and CD by the same name at your local Christian bookstore or at christianbook.com.

Read more from 'Devotionals'

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