The 2018 Winter Olympics started with brutal cold temperatures, windy weather and a pack of medal hungry Olympians who were ready to begin their 30-kilometre cross-country race.  Norway's Simen Hegstad Kruger was a favorite to medal, but he lost his balance at the very start when one of his ski poles snapped.  He picked himself up off the ground and began what would be considered an impossible task of catching gold!   Despite his poor start, Kruger worked immensely hard, caught up with the pack, and worked his way back into the lead group.   He eventually pulled away and won in a time of one hour, 16 minutes and 20 seconds.  (8 eight seconds ahead of the second-place finisher) That was an incredible finish!

When the odds look impossible, when the start of your competition is rough, when no one will blame you for not winning - what do you do?  Do you give yourself an excuse for not winning? 

Paul says in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, do it with all your heart for God and not for man.”  In other words, GIVE IT YOUR ALL!  You may not finish with a gold medal around your neck, but you can still give a gold medal effort!  And you can shine like gold!  

If you have recently tripped up in life or feel like it's been a bad start to the year, GET UP, and NEVER GIVE UP!