Welcome back Jake Jarman

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Welcome to Thought for the Day. I had the privilege with my family last week to go to the Huntingdon Gymnastics Gym last Thursday evening to see Jake Jarman the Olympic gymnast come back to his club with his Bronze medal to be interviewed by BBC news. There were cameras, satellite dishes, and a massive crowd of supporters all waving their Union Jacks. Thank you Huntingdon Gymnastics Club.

I wonder whether you saw any of Jake’s gymnastic routines in the Olympics? Now I’m no athlete, my kids can do the splits and cartwheels and various gymnastics moves (they too are members of the club) but I would if I even sat cross legged and can’t even pull off a pull up, and the only double pike I’ve got close to was the fish I saw in a river once.

So it’s been impressive to see Jake’s moves on the screen- floor routines, pommel horse, high bars and the rings. We are so proud to have a Huntingdon hero representing GB, and are all in awe at his skills and strength.

The Bible speaks about the training that athletes have to go through. Paul says “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever”. 1 Cor 9:25.

He talks about the discipline that is needed in the Christian life because the Christian message is so wonderful and so precious that it’s worth making sacrifices to spread the word, just like Jake spoke on local radio of the sacrifice to his social life that he had to make to concentrate on his mission of getting an Olympic medal.

What I love about this verse is it means that even if you aren’t sporty and could never even win an egg and spoon race, you can win better than an Olympic gold, not through your own efforts, but through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Just get in touch if we at Christ Church Huntingdon or any of the local churches can help you find more about the hope of eternal life that is in Jesus Christ.

Thanks so much for listening.