Hello and welcome to Van Life Devotions. Over the past 8 days the World Athletics Championships were held in Budapest Hungary. I’ve been to Budapest and watching these championships against the backdrop of this beautiful city and the Rhine River brought back many fond memories. Aussies have always loved their own doing well on the international stage like the Olympics.
One such person was Betty Cuthbert. Betty was born in Sydney on April 20, 1938. As a student Betty would run to Ermington Primary School, run around the playground, run home after school, and run around the neighbourhood until called to dinner. By the time she was eight, she was winning NSW running titles. She knew then that she had a gift from God.
It was the beginning of 1956, and the Olympics were coming to Melbourne. She was not ranked in the world's 15 top 100-metre runners and so Betty spent most of her savings on spectator tickets for herself and her family at the Melbourne Olympics that year. Then in September she broke Marjorie Jackson's 200 metre record. She would not be a spectator at these Games.
At the young age of 18, Betty made it on the Australian Team and competed at the 1956 Olympic Games. Incredibly, Betty won two gold medals in the individual track sprints (100 and 200m) and then a third gold in the 400m relay. She was instantly acclaimed as a national hero by the home Australian crowd and was nicknamed the "Golden Girl."
Then at the Rome Olympics in 1960 she was suffering from a torn hamstring and was eliminated early from competition and also had to scratch from the 200 metres event for which she was favourite. However, in 1964 at the Tokyo Olympics she defied a dislocated bone in her foot and switched to the 400 metres event and won her fourth gold medal. To this day, Betty is the only Olympic sprinter, man or woman, to have won gold medals in the 100m, 200m, and 400m. She was a glorious athlete.
In 1969 Betty’s life was to change as she found out that she had multiple sclerosis. She became a tireless campaigner for national awareness of the disease.
I will never forget watching the Opening Ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics when the first athlete into the arena with the Olympic torch was Betty Cuthbert. By now she was in her wheelchair assisted by Australian athlete and Olympic silver medallist Raelene Boyle. It was a very moving moment as the 120,000-crowd roared with their approval.
Betty was raised in a Christian home, attending the Presbyterian Church. After her injury at the 1960 Rome Olympics, she decided to retire. However, about a year and a half later, she heard this voice telling her to run again. She would lie awake at nights wondering what to do. The voice came back, again and again. In the end she said, out loud, 'You win. I'll run again'." And she did and won goal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. While she thanked God for winning, she acknowledges that she kept this and her faith to herself.
In 1985 Betty was in Lismore, NSW where she attended a Christian Crusade. The speaker invited people to get real with their faith. The speaker then said, "there are private practicing Christians here”, and Betty knew that God was speaking to her. That night, in her words, was “born again” as she was compelled to go forward and prayed to receive Jesus. The guest speaker that night was my father Gordon Moyes and they remained friends until her passing in 2017.
Betty initially wanted to be healed of her MS but as she once declared, “I found out about the Healer, and then I couldn't care less about the healing. That's the best thing. I get so much joy out of it, and I want to tell other people about it”.
Betty “born again” faith is an example to us all. Jesus challenges us not to hide our faith. He said, “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:15-16 NIV). If you are a Christian, don’t hide your faith. Jesus died for you. You are forgiven. You are adopted into God’s family. It’s good news. Let others know that they to can be forgiven, saved, and adopted into God’s very own family.
Let’s pray.
Dear God. Thank you for the life and faith of Betty Cuthbert. Thank you for the way in which she brought much joy into people’s lives and for raising the profile of MS. Help us not to hide our light but to let it shine before others. O God, preserve us who travel; surround us with your loving care; protect us from every danger; and bring us in safety to our journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
David Moyes
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