1924 Olympic Games

All photos courtesy of Unsplash 

Not many people have heard of Bill Havens, but Bill became an unlikely hero - at least among those who knew him best. In the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, the sport of canoeing was added to the list of international competitions. The United States team was the favourite to win the event, and Bill Havens was a member of that team. 

As the time for the Olympics neared, it became clear that Bill’s wife would give birth to their first child about the time that the U.S. team would be competing in the Paris games. In 1924, there was no jet aircraft from Paris to the United States, only slow ocean-going ships. Bill found himself in a dilemma. Should he go to Paris and risk not being at his wife’s side when their baby was born? Or should he withdraw from the team and remain with his family?  

Bill’s wife insisted that he  go to Paris. After all, competing in the Olympics was the culmination of a life-long dream. Bill felt conflicted and, after much soul searching, decided to withdraw from the competition and remain home, where he could support his wife when the child arrived.  He considered being at her side his highest priority — even higher than going to Paris to fulfil his dream. 

As it turned out, the United States four-man canoe team won the gold medal in Paris, and Bill’s wife was late in giving birth to their child. She was so late, in fact, that Bill could have competed in the event and returned home in time to be with her when she gave birth. People said, “What a shame.” However, Bill said he had no regrets. 

For the rest of his life, he believed he had made the better decision. Bill Havens knew what was most important to him. Not everybody figures that out. Bill  acted on what he believed was best. Not everybody has the strength of character to say no to something he or she truly wants in order to say yes to something that truly matters. For Bill, it was the only way to peace; the only way to no regrets.

There is an interesting sequel to the story of Bill Havens because the child eventually born to Bill, and his wife was a boy, whom they named Frank. Twenty-eight years later, in 1952, Bill received a cablegram from Frank. It was sent from Helsinki, Finland, where the 1952 Olympics were being held.  The cablegram read: “Dad, I won. I’m bringing home the gold medal you lost while waiting for me to be born.” Frank Havens had just won the gold medal for the United States in the canoeing event, a medal his father had dreamed of winning but never did. 

Thomas Kinkade the artist eloquently said, "When we learn to say a deep, passionate yes to the things that really matter...then peace begins to settle onto our lives like golden sunlight sifting to a forest floor.”  The apostle Paul put it like this, "For to me to live is Christ."

Paul had learnt what it really meant to put Jesus Christ first in his life because it was in obedience to the Saviour who has said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you."  May God bless us and give us  the courage to say yes to the things that truly matter as opposed to saying yes to the things we desperately want.

May the mind of Christ, my Saviour,

Live in me from day to day,

By His love and power controlling

All I do and say.

May I run the race before me,

Strong and brave to face the foe,

Looking only unto Jesus

As I onward go.

DAILY MESSAGES WITH MEANING (31/07/24)

Written by PETER FRANCIS