DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
OLYMPIC DRAMA



VIDEO: SKIP TO 04:09

The Olympic drama has begun.

11.068 seconds.
That’s the time it took to make history.

Apparently, in no other U.S. Olympic Track & Field trials since the modern Summer Games kicked off in 1896, has there ever been a tie.

But that’s what happened last Saturday.

Two training partners, Jeneba Tarmoh and Allyson Felix, crossed the finish line at the same time for the final, 3rd place, spot on the Olympic team in the 100 meter race.

I saw the race, and it was tight.

The race jumped off with a false start.
They reset, and started again.
11.068 seconds later, there was a tie for 3rd.

photo source

The clock showed both finishing at same time, but 22-year old Jeneba was announced as the winner, given a US flag, and took a victory lap around the stadium. If I remember her interview correctly, I think she thanked God and spoke well of Allyson, whom she trains with under coach Bobby Kersee, husband of Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

Then, the real drama started.

The USATF overturned its initial decision, which was in Jeneba’s favor, after looking at photo-finish images showing both torsos crossed the line at exactly the same time. Legs and arms don’t matter. That’s why athletes lean chest-forward. It’s the torso that counts.

Drama continued when it was announced that the USATF did not have any rules in place for a tie-breaker, and the winner would be decided by coin toss, voluntary withdrawal or run off. What??!!!

The ladies had another race to compete in – the 200 meter, which Allyson has already won 2 Olympic silver medals and 3 world championships. Allyson, 26, also won Olympic gold on the 4×100 relay team in 2008. It was no surprise that she won the 200 on Saturday the 30th. Jeneba placed 5th.

Both ladies, their coach, agents and reps met to figure out what to do about the 100, and they decided on a run off.

First time in Olympic trial history.
It was set for Monday night, July 3rd. 8 PM PT.

I purposefully avoided the internet and nightly news so that I wouldn’t hear the winner prematurely from the East Coast broadcast.

8 o’clock sharp, I ran to the TV, turned to NBC and took my seat to witness history in the making. Instead I got, “No run off.”

No run off.
What??!!!

Jeneba conceded.
She said her head wasn’t in it.

In a previous interview, Jeneba confessed that she felt robbed. She had been announced the winner, then told to re-run for the spot. She felt she had rightfully won the race. Why should she have to run again? In her interview Monday night, she seemed very gracious. She mentioned praying about her decision and having a peace from God. So, she let it go.

Allyson issued a statement saying she was deeply disappointed because she wanted to earn the victory instead of concession. But she had seemed willing to concede early on after she won the 200 meters and would be going to the Olympics anyway.

As a matter of fact, both girls would be going to London on the relay team, so all this hoopla over the 100 meters was an emotional roller coaster and a hot mess. I think the USATF should’ve had tie-breaker rules in place long before this debacle. Every other sport seems to have it. I know gymnastics does. I believe swimming did too.

As confusing as the whole situation was, what impressed me the most was how the two friends protected one another. Having trained together and been described more like sisters, they did not throw each other under the bus for selfish gain.

I am reminded of Jesus’ words to His disciples as His time on earth is winding down.
JOHN 15:13 says:
13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Laying down one’s life

To train for a race for 4 years – blood, sweat, tears – and then concede a victory that you feel you earned to your training partner has to feel like laying down your life.

We may not ever understand it, but Jeneba did what she felt she had to do: lay it down.

Could you do it?
Would you do it?

Reports say there were tears on both sides. This had to be an excruciating decision for Jeneba, and a very difficult situation for Allyson. And they both now, still have to run a relay together. Whew!

Both are women of faith and have publicly talked about their faith.

Allyson, whose father is an ordained minister and professor of New Testament at Master’s Seminary, is quoted as saying, “My faith is the reason I run – it calms my heart and makes everything feel like a lift. My speed is definitely a gift from Him, and I run for His glory. Whatever I do, He allows me to do it.”

Let’s pray for God’s glory as the races continue.
And pray for healing for both ladies.
This one’s tough.
Naima

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DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
WHAT IS TAKING SO LONG?



photo source ©simoendli

“What is taking so long?!”

New week. New month. New series.
And that’s the big question we’re asking this month at our bible fellowship on Sundays.

When I planned the preaching schedule at the beginning of the year, for July, I settled on a 4-part series called Sex & the Summer, which would’ve kicked off yesterday. But last week, I begin to feel a heavy burden for the dream chasers and dream makers we’re called to. It seemed like our artists were hemmed up, under the gun, and backs against the wall, so to speak.

Ever feel like that?

You’re doing all you can do, you’ve got faith, you’ve got works with your faith, you’re praying and waiting and waiting and praying… what in the world is taking so long for the answers to come? Jobs, finances, health, relationships… You’re in the 11th hour and time is up!

You need help. Now.
You need hope. Period.

Well, hope is on the way!

There’s nothing like actually hearing the preached word (and we’re working on trying to get our videos up and running soon for our out-of-town fam), but if I can try to sum up yesterday’s message in a nutshell, it would be: Stay the course.

Stay the course, Fam. The answer is on the way. Sometimes, it’s held up in the spiritual battle that is waging invisibly above us.

As we discover in DANIEL 10, answers to prayer can sometimes get re-routed in the spiritual realm. This may not be the case in all situations, as we’ll discover in the next few Sundays, but it could be the case in some circumstances.

Daniel sees a vision that is so disturbing that He decides to fast and pray for understanding from the Lord. He decides that he will not eat meat, regular food, drink wine, use lotions/bathe until he hears from God. He needs an answer. NOW!

Anybody been there?
Desperate times call for desperate measures.

I remember a similar time when everything started collapsing around me, and I got on my face before the Lord and said, “I won’t eat ’til I hear from You.” This was no liquid diet to lose weight. I went on liquids out of pure contrition of my soul. I needed the Creator of the Universe to intervene and stop the earth from caving in up under me.

If you haven’t experienced that kind of turmoil yet, as my wise father would say, “Keep living.”

Daniel finally gets an answer, 21 DAYS LATER.
21 days, Fam.
He fasted and prayed every day, not knowing when the answer would come, but he kept praying. Day in, day out, he prayed.

When the angel finally showed up to deliver Daniel’s answer from God, 21 days after Daniel started specifically asking for an answer, this is what the Bronzed One said:
Daniel 10:12
“Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet future.”

21 DAYS LATER

From the first day Daniel gets on his knees and starts praying and fasting, God hears him and dispatches an answer. The angel with the response is met mid-journey by a demonic opponent who fights him for 21 days. Then, Michael, God’s Big Gun Archangel, comes to help overcome the enemy so that Daniel’s angel can deliver the answer. Upon delivery of the message, the angel returns to finish the battle with the enemy.

Daniel has no idea this is going on behind the scenes.
Sometimes, neither do we.
We don’t know what’s holding up our answer.

But just like Daniel, we should not let up on the prayers. He is relentless.
He doesn’t know it will take 21 days. He just keeps praying each day.
We may not know when our answer is coming, but we can keep praying. Stay the course.

I hope this encourages you as much as it encourages me.
We can be certain that God hears our prayers and our answers are on the way.
Hang in there.

Stay the course,
Naima

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