When we are weak, God is strong

This past Saturday the USM track team traveled to Emporia for the first outdoor meet of the season. Our javelin thrower was having a rough couple of days - physically. He said he felt like he was dealing with food poisoning - upset stomach, headache, chills, no fever that he could tell. He never complained about having to go to the meet while feeling bad, he was just ready to get some marks and throw as best he could.

At the meet, he had to wait until around 4 in the afternoon before it was time for his heat of six men to throw. I told him to take it easy, get one good throw in and if he felt worse and didn't want to try the other three attempts, I'd deal with our head coach. I let him keep his outer layer of warm up shorts and long sleeve on, which would have been an issue with the head coach. I felt concerned for Michael, just like a mom for her son. It is no fun competing when you are sick. Little things like keeping a shirt on can help.

He ran back his approach and we put a shoe down to mark a suggested starting area. We didn't measure his long approach. He didn't know if he could throw from a long approach or would just use a short one. He warmed up with a couple of throws and then asked for last years PR distance. We remembered his farthest throw from last year being  around 128'. I told him I'd pray for him.

THe first guy threw and his javelin landed close to a line on the field, it ended up being about 130'. I kept my eyes on the line for when Michael threw. His went past the line. First throw 132'. He didn't believe me, so I showed him the converter on my phone. I prayed for another meter. Knowing Michael was feeling week, I asked for God to show Michael His strength through him. Second throw 135'. That's a meter. Michael was shocked. Pray throw, Pray throw. Michael's third was 138' and his 4th throw 140' 4". How's that for a record breaking day? 12 feet!

I was also doing a lot of praying at the sand pit that day. Three jumpers long jumping and then triple jumping. Maria matched her PR in the Long Jump, and then went a foot farther in the Triple then she was indoors - we still need another foot to match her PR and qualify for nationals. Trevor jumped over 20 feet in the long jump, but just short of his PR. Our third jumper - we are praying for the approach and the board to match up during competition as well as it does in warmups. 

Praying for good weather in Parkville, Tuesday 19th and then again Saturday at Baker Univ.