9. Inspire

My 31 Free Writes for October play out like a serial love story in an old time magazine. It’s the saga of a young woman and how God leads her to the love of her life. Each day offers new developments in a romance only the Lord could write.
 
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In a rare move on the part of Hollywood a movie was made in 1981 that inspired me in my walk with the Lord. Chariots of Fire, a movie centered on the 1924 Paris Olympics, focused on two of the participants from the Great Britain team in particular, Harold Abrams and Eric Liddell. One would eventually become an elder statesman of Great Britain, the other would minister in China at the sacrifice of his own life. With a compelling story line, fantastic acting, and a groundbreaking musical score I was thoroughly captivated.

Heroes who have to fight for their achievements are always a good box office draw. My heart was smitten by the character of Eric Liddell who walked through doors of opportunity knowing that at every turn it would be his privilege to represent Jesus in each situation. His excellent, albeit, awkward running skill had put him securely on the team. But when he found that running the qualifying heat would be done on a Sunday he knew that open door was not one he could pass through, thus forfeiting  his most likely win in that race. But he wasn’t there to win at all costs. He was there for a higher prize of pleasing his Savior. When he ran, so he said, he could feel God’s pleasure. To forfeit THAT would be impossible in his mind.

I watched Chariots of Fire when it was first released, alone. Which was good for me. It gave me time to think about Eric and his testimony and what I might have done in that situation. Considering how I will respond to a situation as a Christian beforehand is much better that reacting in a situation, fumbling with my whys and why nots.

When I saw that a second release for this movie was in a nearby theater I asked David if he wanted to see it again and found out that he hadn’t seen it the first go round. I was so excited for him to take in this movie because I had come to see him very much like Eric Liddell. He was personable and congenial whenever I saw him but when we got to talking about things he knew what he believed and why. I really admired him for that.

We held hands while we took it all in. The last race we see Eric run was one he had never trained for. He should have failed. But he ran it simply for the pleasure of his Lord. By the time the end credits were rolling, my hand had been crushed from the intensity of David’s reaction to the story on screen.

“I want to live like that,” he whispered.
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“You already do,” I responded.
 
Philippians 3:14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

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