Special Olympics (The Man)

He was one of the first people I really saw.

There were hundreds, maybe thousands, of people at the Opening Ceremonies for Special Olympics. Most had visible challenges of one sort or another, but even among them...he stood out.

His motions were jerky, and he was unbalanced as he walked. I even commented to Clark, "that man looks like he is going to fall over." As I watched him walk, I was amazed that he could even stand up, much less walk...but he did.

When it came time for the athletes to parade around the track, there he was again. I was thinking, "why are they making him walk ALL the way around the track?"

blesshisheart

But I looked at his face...really looked at it. He looked older. Every step he took made the lump in my throat grow larger. "How in the world can that poor man even walk?" I don't know if he could talk, but he was making sounds...and his face was swallowed up in a HUGE grin as his group came right in front of the stands. Everyone was waving and cheering. And then I got it. This was HIS TIME. His time to shine. 

We came back the next afternoon...our whole family. Joshua was competing in Powerlifting, something he fell in love with at the age of 16. He's small, but he's strong (I like to say, "small and mighty!). I watched the athletes listen for their names to be called, walk up to the front and attempt their lifts. One by one, they lifted what they could...and then sat down to cheers and applause. That's when I saw him...that same man! They called his name and he went up to wait his turn. His legs were twisted...as were his arms. From the looks of it, only one of his hands even remotely worked, like, to grasp the bar. I watched the coach carefully place the man's hands on the bar in just the right position. The coach was speaking to him quietly before he stepped away. I heard the man make 3 sounds...the bar was placed in his hands.and he took it down to his chest...and waited. I heard the word, "PRESS" from the official. Slowly, and in one motion, he began to lift the bar...I could NOT believe it. He made all 3 of his bench presses.

Then, it was time for the dead-lift. This is where you have to bend over from a standing position and pick up the bar from the floor. NO WAY he can do this...he can barely even stand! The man was near the end of the group...he walked up and stood behind the bar. Once again, his coach was there to help him get set. The spotter stood behind him, ready...his hand up and legs braced, just in case. I was sure the man would not be able to do this. Even if he could manage to somehow lift the bar...he could never hold it steady.

Oh realllllly?

Because he did. Oh yes, he did! He dead-lifted about 300 pounds like it was nobody's business!

I'll never forget it.

"And as He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked Him, saying, 'Teacher, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?' Jesus answered, 'it was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents, but it was in order that the works of God might be displayed in him.' " (John 9:1-3)