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An inspiring story to read though very long please take time to read through it. It brought tears to my eyes to know of the resilence of this woman.
Interview with former Olympic champion Betty Cuthbert
by Gary Bates
Australian’s coined the nickname ‘The Golden Girl’ for Betty Cuthbert after her three gold-medal performances in the 100, 200 and 4 x 100 metre sprints, at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. Just 18 years old at the time, her enthusiastic personality, engaging smile and unique running style would ensure that she remained well known and loved by a ‘sports mad’ Australia for generations to come. But there was more in store. After missing the 1960 Rome Olympics through injury, she came out of retirement to win the 400 m gold medal in the 1964 Tokyo Games, in what she described as ‘the only perfect race I have ever run’. She is the only Australian track and field athlete to have won four gold medals. Her battle in recent years against terrible adversities has made her almost as popular today as in the heady days of being Australia’s premier athlete.
As a young man, growing up in Australia, I heard a great deal about Betty Cuthbert the athlete and her achievements, so I was delighted to be able to meet her in her home city of Mandurah, about an hour’s drive south of Perth, capital of Western Australia.
Betty says that from about the age of eight, she knew that God had given her the ability to run fast. Born in 1938, she grew up in Sydney as World War II engulfed Australia. Her father ran a plant nursery, and Betty used to love running around barefoot between the rows of plants. ‘Even at that age, I can remember experiencing God in all that I saw around me. I’ve always loved God, His creation, the plants, the trees and the animals,’ she says. ‘Mum went to church and sent us to Sunday school. My parents always encouraged me and I had a good home life. We were always taught to respect things and other people. It’s so different today, because children are just not taught the right way.’ She explained that declining moral standards are most certainly linked to an abandonment of belief in the truth of the Bible.
Aiming for her second Olympics, Betty was at peak fitness for the 1960 games, however a torn leg muscle forced withdrawal, and became her cue to retire. Although content in retirement, Betty says a voice within told her to run again. She resisted at first, but the compulsion was overwhelming, and though she would later realize that she was not yet truly converted, she believed that God was guiding her. So at age 26, she started preparations for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, stepping up in distance to the 400 metres. ‘I didn’t win any of the heats or the semi-final, but on the day of the final I was lying on a bench before the race. When we were called for the start, it was as if some force got me up from the bench. Amazingly, I had no nerves and I wasn’t worried at all. During the race, the wind was quite tricky and the other competitors were running very strongly, yet I was still very calm. I knew I had to do it; I knew I would win.’
It was this race that Betty describes as her ‘perfect race’. She says that because ‘the fourth gold medal made my career more indelible in people’s minds’, it was part of God’s plan to give her greater opportunity to witness for Christ.
However, it was only years later, after she had developed the debilitating disease multiple sclerosis, that she could see this plan unfold. ‘I was encouraged to go to a particular church where someone said, “they’ll heal you”. Well, I wasn’t healed but I met the Healer.’ At age 47, Betty was ‘born again’ by receiving Jesus Christ as her Lord and Saviour. She says, ‘My life has never been the same since. My salvation was a free gift. I didn’t have to work for it and it’s better than any gold medal that I’ve ever won. Before then, I’m ashamed to say, I was frightened to tell people of my belief in God.’
Some time after, her close friend, Mrs Rhonda Gillam, felt the call of God to look after Betty full-time. This was timely, as Betty’s condition worsened and she became confined to a wheelchair. Despite her disabilities, Betty continued to be involved in fundraising for charitable causes. Then a man claiming to be a Christian duped both Betty and Rhonda into contributing all their savings into an investment scheme, which failed. ‘It all happened so quickly. We were the easiest of takes,’ she says.
When news of Betty’s plight and potential bankruptcy reached the media, the response by Australians was overwhelming. A testimonial lunch and auction of some memorabilia raised $270,000 dollars, which enabled her to buy back her property. This thrust Betty back into the spotlight and she has used these circumstances to energetically witness about the Lord. On the evening that we met, I was given a blue sheet of paper bearing her signature. It professes her faith in Jesus Christ and explains the need for salvation by all, because we are sinners. ‘Anyone who asks for my autograph, gets one of these,’ she says.
It is easy to see that Betty understands how foundational the Creation message is to the Gospel. An extract from her witnessing sheet reads: A baby too, as soon as it is born is a sinner. Why? Because Adam committed high treason on us when he sinned in the Garden of Eden and we all inherited the bad seed. Seeing that life is in the blood, that is why Jesus was sent by God, born of a virgin … .
A footnote says: An apple tree is not an apple tree because it bears apples, but it bears apples because it is an apple tree. You are not a sinner because you sin, you sin because you are a sinner.
In discussing this, Betty adds, ‘I can understand how evolution says, “don’t believe in God”, but I’ve never had this problem. I’ve always loved His creation. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean anything to some people, and I just don’t get that! After all, if you just read the Bible plainly, it tells you everything. From Creation, to the Flood, to Jesus. I can’t see how you can come to the conclusion, there is no God.’
‘I used to witness about Creation to a good friend, a well-known politician, who became very sick and spent a lot of time in hospital. When he came out he said to me, “Betty, I’ve had time to stop and see what you mean, and you’re right.” I was very excited for him.’
Recently, a prominent Western Australian church leader said that Christians needed to understand that Christianity is not the only way to God. ‘It makes me so mad,’ Betty says. ‘I can’t believe the way our religious leaders are going. Why don’t they just believe God’s Word?’ She clearly understands the roots of this abandonment, as she explains, ‘If they don’t go back to Genesis, they won’t understand.’
I asked whether some people questioned how God could allow her illness. She replied that many feel sorry for her, but she tells them that far from blaming God, she loves Him. She said she understands we are all subject to the Curse instituted in the Garden of Eden, and so there is illness, suffering and death in the world. Far from being depressed, she says, ‘God has given me a job to do and I am going to do it.’ Betty believes that her God-given achievements and present circumstances have created opportunities to share the Gospel in a way that she could never have imagined. Indeed, discussing her with others, I found that almost everyone is aware of Betty’s faith. At a recent sports award ceremony, a high-profile businessman and ex-politician introduced her to the audience, noting her achievements and that she was a ‘born-again Christian’.
Australians hold Betty Cuthbert in great affection and esteem—not only for her sporting achievements, but as a model of sportsmanship and integrity on and off the field. During Australia’s recent celebrations of 100 years of federated nationhood, individuals were chosen to represent various fields of endeavour, such as sports, the arts, etc. Out of all the categories, Betty (chosen for sports) was the only living representative.
At the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, she took part in the spectacular opening ceremony. Tens of thousands of spectators were cheering her on once again as she took the torch, and I can admit to being very moved at the sight of ‘the great’ Betty Cuthbert completing her part, being pushed in a wheelchair.
As our conversation drew to a close, Betty said, ‘I’ve seen God in His creation and I’ve always loved Him. People might think I’m sick, but the Lord has turned my life around. I now know why I had to run again and win that fourth gold medal, to make a mark in people’s minds. He is now using my situation to tell people about Him. We truly have a great God.’
Joy
I'm Gonna Touch the Sky!
10:15 AM
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Monday, November 06, 2006
A Story to Begin....In the early days of our country a weary traveler came to the banks of the Mississippi River for the first time. There was no bridge. It was early winter, and the surface of the mighty stream was covered with ice. Could he dare cross over? Would the ice be able to bear his weight?Night was falling, and it was urgent that he reach the other side. Finally, after much hesitation and with many fears, he began to creep cautiously across the surface of the ice on his hands and knees. He thought if he distributed his weight as much as possible he would keep the ice from breaking beneath him.About halfway over he heard the sound of singing behind him. Out of the dusk there came a man, driving a horse-drawn load of coal across the ice and singing merrily as he went his way.Here he was--creeping along on his hands and knees, trembling lest the ice be not strong enough to bear him up! And there, as if whisked by the winter's wind, went the man, his horses, his sleigh, and his load of coal, upheld by the same ice.
How can you relate this story to your life with God?
There were 3 kinds of merchants at the time of James. There was the old Hellenistic mariners who never left the sea and shipped and sold cargo from one port to the next. There was the caravan traders who used camels, wagons, horses, and mules to bring and sell goods from one city to the next. And, there was local shop-keepers who traveled abroad to find goods and merchandise for their stores and businesses.
In verse 13 James pictures these merchants as making plans for future business ventures. They say, (James 4:13) "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money."
These traders pick the exact day of their departure: "today or tomorrow." They pick the city they will visit: "this or that city," and one can imagine them pointing the town out to one another on the map. They determine the length of their stay: "a year." They state what they will be engaged in: "carry on business." And they even state the profit they assume they will get: "and make money."
James holds these merchants up before his readers as a warning: "Don't be like them," he is saying.
Why does he say this? James wants to warn us against a worldliness which causes its victims to neglect God and to arrange their lives as though He did not exist and as if they alone were masters of their destiny.
The merchants and traders James is acquainted with are a classic example of this sort of worldliness. In their work they act as if they are in control. In their plans they sound like they are in charge. They do their work, they make their plans, they have their hopes and their dreams, but in all of this there is no place for God or His leading.
We always have to be on guard, dear people, against this sort of worldliness. It is easy, far too easy, to act and think and hope and plan as if we and we alone have control of our future. It is so easy for us to think that if we work so many hours, or save so many dollars, or study a lot with many certs, then our hopes and dreams for the present and the future will be realized. It is so easy for us to plan next vacation, or what to buy next, or our new house, or our different job, as if we and we alone had any say in these things. It is so easy for us to neglect God's will and leading in all of this.
It is so easy for us to avoid the question,
"What does God want me to do? What is His will?"
(James 4:15) ... you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."
That is my motto for life. I am not saying we do not have to plan our schedule in advance or plan our time wisely Yes definitely we need to in order to be a good steward of our time.
I suddenly remembered my real mother sharing to me that before she married my dad there was another man that she was choosing between. In terms of quality i think he is many times better than my dad well they always said that to "suan" each other. A little humour in a marriage is important too. =) She chose my dad ultimately because of one thing He is the one from God. The other guy is not a christian and she knows that God's will for her life is to find a man who seeks after the heart of God. WOW!!!
If she plans her way and trusts her heart, it will say the other guy coz he is better financially definitely. But she always remind me in marriage The Bible says, "Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain" (Psalm 127:1). In other words, the more you allow God to be the Lord of your marriage, the more comfortable and earthquake-proof it will be. It can be costly to wait for God's direction, it can hurt to follow God's direction and i can share more with you all the hurts that i have to go through to follow Him but i know my parents and myself have no regrets coz we know we did the right thing.
A picture of my parents and me at my commencement. Cant find photo of the 2 of them alone for some reason but i love them coz they have been involved in every milestones of my life. I love this family and my word for all is follow Jesus wholeheartedly. I'm Gonna Touch the Sky!
11:32 AM
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Sunday, November 05, 2006
God's promises to live by..you say: "It's impossible."
GOD says: ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. (Luke 18:27)you say: "I'm too tired."
GOD says: I WILL GIVE YOU REST (Matthew 11:28-30)you say: "Nobody really loves me."
GOD says: I LOVE YOU (John 3:16 & John 3:34)
you say: "I cant go on."
GOD says: MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT (II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalms 91:15)you say: "I cant figure things out."
GOD says: I WILL DIRECT YOUR STEPS (Proverbs 3:5-6)
you say: "I cant do it."
GOD says: YOU CAN DO ALL THINGS. (Philippians 4:13)
you say: "I'm not able."
GOD says: I AM ABLE (II Corinthians 9:8)you say: "It's not worth it."
GOD says: IT WILL BE WORTH IT (Romans 8:28)you say: "I cant forgive myself."
GOD says: I FORGIVE YOU (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)you say: "I cant manage."
GOD says: I WILL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEEDS (Philippians 4:19)you say: "I'm afriad."
GOD says: I HAVE NOT GIVEN YOU A SPIRIT OF FEAR (II Timothy 1:7)
you say: "I'm always worried and frustrated."
GOD says: CAST ALL YOUR CARES ON ME (I Peter 5:7)you say: "I'm not smart enough."
GOD says: I GIVE YOU WISDOM (I Corinthians 1:30)you say: "I feel all alone."
God says: I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU OR FORSAKE YOU (Hebrews 13:5)
I'm Gonna Touch the Sky!
9:43 PM
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My love! (sos 10:6)
I love you.
(jn 15:9) I have called you by name.
(is 43:1) You are mine. Before I formed you, I knew you. And before you were born, I consecrated you.
(jer 1:5) You did not choose me, I chose you.
(jn 15:16)Because you are previous to me and honored, I love you.
(is 43:4) I have loved you with an everlasting love, so I continue to show my constant love.
(jer 31:3) How can I abandon you? My love for you is too strong.
(hos 11:8)Can a woman forget about her own baby and not love the child she bore? Yet even if she forget, I will never forget you ~ I can never forget you. See, I have written your name in the palms of my hands.
(is 49:15-16) For I, the Lord you God, am holding you by the right hand.
(is 41:13)
Do not be afraid, I have redeemed you. I am with you.
(is 43:5) And be sure with this, I am with you always 'til the end of the world.
(mt 28:20) Do not let you heart be troubled. Trust in me.
(jn 14:1) I will help you.
(is 41:14) When you pass through troubled waters, I will be with you. Your trouble will not overwhelm you. The hard trials that come will not hurt you.
(is 43:2)
Do not worry.
(lk 12:9) Even the hairs of your head have been numbered, so there is no need to be afriad of anything.
(mt 10:30) The mountains may depart, and the hills will be shaken, but my steadfast love for you will never end.
Come, I will lead you into solitude, and there, I will speak tenderly to your heart. I will be true and faithful. I will show you constant love, and make you mine forever. I will deepen my promise, and you will really know me then as never before
(hos 1:14, 19-20) I am who I am.
(ex 3:14) I am the Lord, your God.
(hos 13:4)The Faithful God (hos 11:12)
I'm Gonna Touch the Sky!
9:13 PM
