DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
CAN’T DWELL ON THE FAIL
© NaimaLett.com/blog

© NBC Olympics, Michael Phelps

Shock shook London’s Olympics Saturday.

All-time Olympic gold medal record holder Michael Phelps (14 golds) failed to even make the awards stand in his first event, the 400 individual. Teammate Ryan Lochte won gold. Phelps placed 4th, and there’s no medal for 4th.

But Michael had no time to dwell on the fail.
He had to prepare for his next race.

Michael tweeted, “Not pleased with my race tonight at all… But tom is a new day! And a new race!!”

That new race was the 400-meter freestyle relay on Sunday, which Phelps posted the fasted US time and helped his team pull further ahead in a very healthy lead in the pool. Unfortunately, on the anchor leg, Ryan Lochte seemed to give out of steam and was overtaken by the French. The US finished second with silver, pushing Michael’s all-time medal total to 17, just 1 behind the record held by Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina. Just watched him qualify for the 200m butterfly. He’s back in the water, Fam.

Defending world champion gymnast Jordyn Wieber is in a similar boat. The individual all-around favorite failed to qualify for the finals. Although Jordyn, an outstanding gymnast, had the 4th highest score out of the 24 girls who competed, the rules state that only 2 gymnasts per country can advance. Unfortunately for her, 2 of her US teammates scored higher than she did and will move forward in the individual competition in her stead.

But Jordyn has no time to dwell on the fail.
She has the team competition tomorrow.

“It’s all very disappointing,” Jordyn is quoted as saying, though everyone saw she was too devastated to talk to press.

But there’s no rest for the weary. The 17-year old is expected to pull it together and be ready to compete again by tomorrow. Team USA is favored to win its first gold medal since 1996, having scored the best in the qualifying rounds yesterday. The girls made the Sports Illustrated cover and are being called the Fab Five. Despite the disappointment, she’s got to get back on the beam.

I’m so reminded of the story of Elisha in 2 Kings 4:8-37. Do you remember this one? The Shunammite woman’s young son became ill and died unexpectedly. So, she went to get the man of God, Elisha to do SOMETHING! This is what happened.

32-35 Elisha entered the house and found the boy stretched out on the bed dead. He went into the room and locked the door—just the two of them in the room—and prayed to God. He then got into bed with the boy and covered him with his body…. As he was stretched out over him like that, the boy’s body became warm. Elisha got up and paced back and forth in the room. Then he went back and stretched himself upon the boy again. The boy started sneezing—seven times he sneezed!—and opened his eyes.

Elisha was not 100% successful on his first pass in healing the boy.
But there was no time to dwell on the fail.

This was life and death.
He paced back and forth, praying no doubt, tried again and this time, the boy opened his eyes.

What’s going on with you, Fam?
Got setbacks? Disappointments?
It’s OK. Fails happen.
But get back in the water. Get back on the beam.

Let’s not dwell on the fail.
Try again.
There are more victories to be won.

If there was a medal for team support from the living room and/or hollering at the screen, I’d get gold for sure! I preached in a sports shirt yesterday. That’s what I’m talking about.
We’re with our teams! Come on!
Try, try again,
Naima

Are you following the Olympics?
Have you had a time when you couldn’t dwell on the fail?

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