Wanda Bam

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

As the Cape Town Cycle Tour drew to a close for the year, many stories of the pain and suffering, joys and victories found their way to the media. One particular story, that of the father and daughter from Namibia, however, grabbed my attention. What an inspirational story.

Hermann (60) and Maike Volkmann (31) travelled to Cape Town from Namibia to take part in the tour. This was a first time for the father-daughter duo and for Maike, it had always been a dream. Maike has Down’s syndrome but refuses to live anything short of a great life, despite some of the challenges she faces. Her father knew how much she wanted to do the gruelling race and decided to support her wishes. Hermann, who has had triple bypass surgery, dedicated the last two years to training for the 108 km cycle tour. He and Maike practised on their tandem, riding around in the Namibian desert and both followed a healthy lifestyle to ensure an easier ride. The pair had never ridden so far before and for Hermann, it was a big test of his endurance. The father-daughter duo subsequently successfully completed the race.  

When we finally get moving and do what we have postponed for so long, just because others believed that it was impossible, because we don’t believe that we can, we must understand that when we eventually follow through, there will be risks. There is the risk that we may lose, the risk that we may be injured or hurt, the risk of disappointment or even the risk of giving up. Risks are a given. Standing up and the way in which we stand up after a fall is important, but there is another challenge and this is the challenge: who do I take with me when I decide to enter the race and who do I take with me when I decide to get up and move again after a fall? This challenge can only be overcome when we believe in what we are doing, when we know where we are going and when we can inspire others to focus on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who has already completed the race and who encourages us and leads us on the road that is abounding with risks.

Prayer:  Lord, make me brave to be daring in faith.  Make me fit to complete the race and help me to run it in such a way that, together with my team mates, we will cross the finish line and shout “We made it!”.  Amen