Olympics – who are you cheering for?
The Olympics are over and have started to become just a faint memory to most people.
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Greg & I had the great fortune to be at the Opening Ceremonies in Vancouver with some friends & clients of his.
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We saw Simon Aamann become the first gold medalist of the 2010 Olympic Games – when he won the ski jump. He was just a few feet from us and he looked my way when I shouted his name about as loudly as I could. Yep. I’m sly & bold like that.
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You can see more of our photos here.
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Being there live made the whole idea of the Olympics so much more exciting for our family. We could point out where we were just days before. My husband could tell us what it was like walking around in Athlete’s Village, to cover two different torch relays, or to capture Whistler from a helicopter.
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The thing about the Olympics is they inspire us to watch, to be aware, to cheer our team on, find out how each athlete did in his/her respective event … we stay up late, gather around the TV and scream, hold our breath, shriek, gasp, laugh and, if you’re like me – cry.
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I’m sure many workplace watercooler talks were peppered with trivia and highlights, people running around like Bob Costas clones, sharing the latest on this or that event. The Olympics provided us all with an experience we could share in. They spotlight the very best athletes our country has to offer and it’s a fun diversion from our lives.
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But, now that they’re over, who are we cheering for and giving our attention to?
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I bet most of us didn’t know much about the athletes until we saw them compete and heard their stories, read articles about them and googled them. And, living in Minnesota, there were tons of stories, as our state was well represented in Vancouver through the hockey and curling teams, not to mention the downhill darling, Lindsay Vonn, who hails from a neighboring city.
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But, as we come down off the high of watching Olympic competition, I wonder how much different our relationships would be if we gave as much attention and encouragement to our own team … our children, our parents, our neighbors, our friends.
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Can you imagine focusing each day on finding out how someone on your team is doing?
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I’ll be the first to admit that I can get very wrapped up in my own life, stuck inside in the cold Winter, and I don’t know what’s been happening in the lives of my friends and neighbors.
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But, I’m challenged by the command that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. Does that mean, we just wave when we’re out checking the mail? Or, does it mean, knocking on the door or picking up the phone and finding out if there’s a need you can fill, a prayer you can say, a word of encouragement you can offer. Does it mean inviting people into your home and into your lives so you can invest in them?
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When you ask someone how they’re doing, are you exchanging an obligatory pleasantry, or really inviting a response? Are we taking the time to stop, to listen, to observe, to notice, to be present in someone else’s life?
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If we did, I would venture to guess that our relationships would start to look very different … more like God created them to be … and dare I say, become worthy of a medal – not of gold, silver or bronze, but of much greater worth … one that says …
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well done, good and faithful servant.
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Here’s the core of my team – my sweet, sassy, spirited kids – all with Olympic-sized personalities:
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How do you stay connected to your team? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
