Chris
Nikic was born with Down syndrome.
Chris’ father, Nik Nikic, told the
Orlando Sentinel: “From the time he was born, we were told by everyone
that he’d never do anything or amount to anything or be able to
accomplish anything [beyond] being able to tie his own shoes. And we
believed them for the longest time.”
Since his birth 21 years ago, Chris has
proven the negative prognosticators wrong.
This past weekend, Chris participated in
an Ironman triathlon competition in Panama City Beach, Florida. In
order to complete the race successfully, an athlete had to swim 2.4
miles in open water, bike 122 miles, and run a full 26.2-mile marathon,
all under 17 hours.
Chris completed the amazing feat in 16
hours, 46 minutes and 9 seconds. He is the first athlete with Down
syndrome to complete an Ironman triathlon, setting a Guinness World
Record. Special Olympics tweeted the news: “It’s official! Florida
athlete @ChrisNikic is an IRONMAN!”
That’s quite an accomplishment for
someone about whom it was said, “he’ll never do anything or amount to
anything or be able to accomplish anything [beyond] being able to tie
his own shoes.”
There are others been told that they will
never amount to anything. Some who have made some bad choices and made
a mess of their lives are told that there’s no hope for them. And they
believe the negative forecasters.
But God offers a new start and a new life
(2 Corinthians 5:17). He offers a new identity: from being a “nobody”
to becoming a child of the King. He offers a new destiny – eternal life
in heaven – to those who have been headed on a path of eternal
destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).
God can make something beautiful of your
life.
“Something beautiful, something good
All my confusion He understood
All I had to offer Him was brokenness
and strife
But He made something beautiful of my life”
-- William J. Gaither
God loves us so much
that He sent His one and only Son Jesus to die on the cross to redeem us
from sin (Ephesians 1:7). In Christ, we can have the abundant life now
(John 10:10) and eternal life to follow (Romans 6:23).
God will save, create something beautiful, and
give eternal life to those who place their
faith and trust
in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in
repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confess
Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are
baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will
continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to “run the race” with
their eyes focused on following Jesus and His Word (Hebrews 12:1-3; 1
John 1:7-9).
Don’t listen to the
negative prognosticators. God can make something beautiful of your
life, too.
Won’t YOU accept
His offer through your trusting obedience?
-- David A. Sargent
* Information gleaned from “Florida man
becomes 1st athlete with Down syndrome to complete Ironman triathlon” by
Michael Ruiz of Fox News,
www.foxnews.com.
David A. Sargent,
Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
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