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Key Bible Verse: "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him" (Luke 15:20b). Bonus Reading: Ephesians 2:4-10

Derek Redmond ran the 400-meters in his fastest time in five years in preliminary rounds at the summer Olympic games in Barcelona. Four years earlier, in Seoul, a tendon problem had forced Derek to drop out. He had since undergone operations on both Achilles tendons.

But in the finals, as he rounded the turn into the back stretch, a sharp pain shot up his right leg. He went down, struggled to his feet and began hobbling around the track.

High in the stands, Jim Redmond saw Derek collapse, ran down onto the track and, catching up with his son, put his arm around him. "You don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do," said Derek.

"then we'll finish together."

Defending Olympic champion Steve Lewis won the heat and headed toward the tunnel. So did the other six runners. Leaning on his Dad's right shoulder in intense pain, Derek began sobbing. An usher attempted to escort Jim off the track. But father and son continued, crossing the finish line to thundering cheers.

Redmond's race results read "AB" for abandoned. Hardly! Redmond was held up and carried across the finish line by a caring, loving father just like our Heavenly Father does.

—Ken Sutterfield in The Power of an Encouraging Word

• How does God's compassion for you affect the way you care for others?

Thought to Apply: God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.

—AUGUSTINE (CHRISTIAN LEADER, 4TH CENTURY)

Credits: Adapted from—Wednesday: The Power of an Encouraging Word (New Leaf, 1997)

Copyright © 2000 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity. For reprint information call 630-260-6200 or e-mail mail@menofintegrity.net.
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