"I love the sense of satisfaction that I get when I’ve done a swimming workout or race, and know that I gave my whole being and heart to God in every moment of the swim. It’s the best worship I can offer him."
Where is God when it all goes wrong?
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11Kirsty Balfour went to the Beijing Olympics as a medal contender. In the previous two years she had taken a World Championship silver, European gold and Commonwealth silver medal in the 200 metres breaststroke. If she could repeat her time from the Commonwealth Games of 2:24:04, she would be in the medals.
In the event it was a disaster. Her time in the heat was 3 seconds slower that her best. She did not even make the semi-finals. She said, ‘I was trying my best but I didn’t feel sharp and I didn’t feel I could pick up my pace or adjust to what other people were doing.’ Four years preparation for the Olympics had just gone up in smoke. Tears flowed.
‘I felt very confused and disappointed. I had just wanted to do a good swim for the team, for the country, for my family. My first thought was of people I had let down, like sponsors, my family, who had flown out to China to watch me, and my coach and my team mates. So I just felt I had let people down – all the money and the time that had been invested in working towards Beijing was gone.’
As a follower of Jesus Christ from childhood, Kirsty had reason to ask where was God in all this? Why had God allowed it all to happen? Why had it all gone wrong when it really mattered? Yet in the midst of all the turmoil, Kirsty had a great sense of God’s presence. ‘As I waited poolside, the words of a song kept coming into my mind. “How great is our God” and there is line that says “He is the name above all names and is worthy to be praised. My heart will sing: how great is our God”.
‘My mind was a great mix of thoughts but that song was still in my head and I thought, “Yes God is still God and he is worthy to be praised”. It was amazing to have that and after what I had been through I felt I was standing on the rock of Jesus. I was able to say “Yes, Jesus you are in it. You are here. This was your will”. I had such assurance that God still loved me’.
As she looks back at Beijing, the memory is still painful. She would have loved to get a medal to celebrate with her family and team. But she does not see Beijing a failure because she had given her all. She adds, “Sometimes when it goes badly, God gets more glory in your reaction and in how you handle it – than in winning a medal”. Where was God when it all went wrong? He was right with her.