Sabbath Thought - Setbacks

On June 28, 1931, a young woman named Betty Robinson was involved in a severe plane crash. She was injured so badly that upon discovering her body in the wreckage, rescuers proclaimed her dead. One of her legs was broken in three places, her left arm was shattered, she had a deep gash over her right eye, and she was unconscious. She was taken to a local indigent hospital because an undertaker worked there as well. Fortunately, Betty revived and was treated for her injuries. The doctors who treated her, however, said that she would never walk again.

How devastating would this news be to anyone? It was especially hard for Betty to hear, because she was a U.S. Olympian. She was an amazing runner with a natural ability, having won a gold medal in the 1928 Olympics for the 100 meter race (she is still the youngest woman [at age 16] to ever have won this race) and a silver medal as a member of the 4x100 meters relay team. She was expected to do even more at the 1932 Olympics, but the plane crash put her whole life into question. Betty had been known as a happy-go-lucky, carefree girl and she had an ability to succeed at seemingly everything she tried, but what would her life be now?

It was Betty's brother-in-law that would not let her give up after her injury. It took Betty 6 months before she was able to stand and walk enough to not be in a wheelchair. Every morning he would get Betty up for a walk. It started as just a few steps, then it was to the sidewalk, and eventually down the street. It took two years before she was able to walk normally again. Then he began to have her run a short distance, then down the street, then a short run around the block, and eventually short sprints. Betty began a rehab program that would take five years to be able to run 100 meters.

She still had challenges however. Because of her injuries, she could not crouch as sprinters do before a race. This was another blow to her dream of racing again, but then she realized she could still do the 4x100 meter race if she was not the starter (they didn't have to crouch). She set her eye on being at the 1936 Olympics, but the world had changed. The 1928 Olympics were the first that women could run in, but by 1936 there were many more talented runners. There was the added challenge that the U.S. Olympic Committee would not pay the way for the women runners to be at the Olympics in Berlin, Germany. Because the Depression had taken its toll on the family finances, her family couldn't help pay her way. She sold all of her Olympic ribbons (but not her gold medal), and pretty much everything she owned to have enough money to be in Berlin.

Betty was thrilled to be at the Olympics again. She was the third runner on the 4x100 relay team. The Germans were favored, but the anchor runner (the last of the four on the relay team) dropped her baton, and the U.S. relay team took first place. Betty had her second Olympic gold medal - and her last. Betty remained involved in women's athletics as an official for much of her life, and was inducted into the U.S. National Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1977. As a fitting recognition, she carried the Olympic Torch for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia.

Our setbacks only define us if we let them. Overcoming those setbacks define us as well, because of the choice of character to do so. Setbacks can come upon us in an instant, while overcoming can take many, many years. God has called us to succeed in our calling. He desires for us to be in His Kingdom (Luke 12:32) but there will be things we need to overcome to succeed at that goal (Revelation 3:12). We have a wonderful list of faithful who have proceeded us in Hebrews 11 that shows us all of this is very doable.

Will we let our setbacks define us, or will our setbacks become our motivation to do everything we need to do to succeed?

I wish you a very wonderful Sabbath,

Dan Dowd

20 July, 2024