Going the Distance...and Beyond

Former Dallas Cowboys fullback Ron Springs, who played from 1979 to 1985, had suffered from Type 2 diabetes for 16 years and had spent three on a waiting list for a kidney transplant. To say the least, things were not looking very good until teammate Everson Walls decided to donate one of his kidneys to Springs. After a successful transplant, Springs no longer needed dialysis for the first time in many years.

In Luke chapter 5 we see four friends going the distance and beyond for a fifth friend who was a paralytic. A crowded room and the inability to physically reach Jesus did not discourage nor turn these friends away. They climbed onto the roof of the building, found a way to get their friend onto the roof, and created a hole large enough to lower their friend down into the view of Jesus. The Savior then healed the paralytic and commanded him to, "Get up, take your mat and go home."

Have you ever had the opportunity to go the distance and beyond for a friend, classmate, or teammate? If not, why? Are your own fears holding you back from being this kind of friend? Ask God to open the doors for you to go the extra distance and then keep an eye out for these opportunities. It might be as small as encouraging a struggling teammate, or it could be a larger task that requires more time, energy and resources. Either way, you will be putting others’ needs before your own and making an impact for the Kingdom, and you can be assured God will be smiling on your actions.