Dear Lord,
I saw the interview prior to Ryan Hall's Olympic marathon run where he said, "God is going to have to show up."
Yesterday we saw him drop out of the race early with hamstring issues. Did You show up? Were You really there?
I am going to say yes, not only because You are always everywhere, especially when invited as with Ryan, but because yesterday, though crushingly disappointing, did not really surprise me.
You just show up in the oddest ways!
Were/are You setting the stage for something greater in Ryan's life, in his mission, in his world platform as a professional runner?
Were/are You testing his mettle in yesterday's outcome as You so "bruisingly" but lovingly do?
My petition to You on his behalf is that You ever so tenderly expand his embrace of You--that he would keep You as his Coach, that he would not waver from his platform of being professionally led by You.
Expand his breath of You until his capacity to breathe You is new and ever larger, energizing us and giving us new courage to embrace You more and more publicly. Much of our inspiration of You comes through him.
Give him such perfect peace with yesterday's outcome. Only You could/can make gold out of a very short race that is the start of a very long victory.
It is in Your Name I pray.
Amen.
