Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing

Keep the main thing the main thing. Focusing on the gold medal at the beginning of an event is the ultimate purpose, of your entering and preparing to become the best at all you can be. No athlete strives for the bronze or better yet silver; each desires the gold, to be first, to be the champion. Though ‘there is many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip, keeping the main thing the main thing is pivotal to success. In this a year of the World Olympics, to be held in London, Jamaica is considered the sprint capital of the world and having many world leading sprinters at the top of their games in the track and field arena. "RISE EACH TIME YOU FALL" They all lined up so full of hope, each thought to win the race  Or tie for first or if not that at least take a second place.  And parents watched from off the side, each cheering for their child  Each one hoped to show his folks that he would be the one.  The whistle blew and off they went, young hearts and hopes afire  To win and be the hero there was each runner's desire.  And one runner in particular whose dad was in the crowd  Was running near the lead and thought, "my dad will be so proud!"  But as they speeded down the field across the shallow dip  The runner who thought to win lost his step and slipped  Trying hard to catch himself his hands flew out to brace  And mid the laughter of the crowd he fell fiat on his face.  So down he fell and with him hope - he could not win it now.  Embarrassed, sad he only wished to disappear somehow;  But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face  Which to the boy so clearly said "Get up and win the race."  He quickly rose no damage done - to catch up and to win -  His mind went faster than his legs; he slipped and fell again  I'm hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn't try to race."  But in the laughing crowd he searched and found his father's face  That steady look which said again. "Get up and win the race."  So up he jumped to try again - ten yards behind the last.  "If I'm trying to gain those yards", he thought, "I've got to move real fast!"  Exerting everything he had he regained eight of ten,  But trying so hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again.  Pause.“ You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal.:” (Isaiah 26: 3-4). Entering a new semester, students are encouraged to remain focused, keep the main thing the main thing, during school, work, and play as each person has his or her own mandate. Remember of failure is not an option. The author continues:    Defeat! He laid there silently - a tear dropped from his eye  There's no sense running anymore, three strikes I'm out. Why Try?  The will to rise had disappeared; all hope had fled away.  So far behind, so error prone, a loser all the way.  "I've lost so what's the use?" he thought, "I'll have to live with my disgrace"  But then he thought above his dad, who soon he'd have to face.  "Get up!" an echo sounded low. "Get up and take your place."  "With borrowed will get up" he said. "You haven't lost at all.  For winning is no more than this: to rise each time you fall."  So up he rose to run once more and now with new commit  He resolved that win or lose, at least he would not quit.  So far behind the others now, the most he'd ever been  Still he gave it all he had and ran as through to win.  Three times he'd fallen, stumbling; three times he rose again  Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.  They cheered the winning runner as he crossed the line first place  Head high and proud and happy - no falling, no disgrace,  But when the fallen youngster crossed the line last place,  The crowd gave him a greater cheer for finishing the race.  And even though he came in last, with head bowed low - unproud  You would have thought he'd won the race, to listen to the crowd.  And to his dad he sadly said, "I didn't do so well."  "To me, you won," his father said, "you rose each time you fell."  So when your life seems dark and hard, things difficult to face  Nay the memory of that little boy help you in your race.  For all of life is like a race, with ups and downs and all,  And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.  (Extracted) ‘Refuse to fall down. If you do fall, refuse to stay down. Keep getting up. Lift your heart toward heaven like a hungry beggar, ask that it be filled and it will be filled. You may be pushed down, many forces may be against you. But no one can keep you from lifting your heart toward heaven – only you. It is in the middle of misery that so much becomes clear. The one, who says nothing good came of this, is not yet listening.