I recently heard about the life story of Glenn Cunningham . Not only is his story inspiring, but it puts feet to scripture like Phillippians 3:12-14. For me, it’s a wonderful example of how our past and our trials – even the worst of them, can be redeemed for our benefit and for God’s glory.
Philippians 3:12-14
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
The story of Glenn Cunningham
This is a story about the life of Glenn Cunningham. Born in Atlanta, Kansas, Cunningham A.K.A – “Kansas Flyer”, was severely burned in and accidental fire at his schoolhouse. In the fire his older brother died. Doctors recommended amputating his legs, but Glenn refused. After having lost all of the flesh around his knees, shins, and toes on his left foot, doctors predicted that he would never walk again. Glenn however would go on to prove them wrong eventually becoming an Olympic world record holder and close friend of Jesse Owens [1]…..
“The little country schoolhouse was heated by an old-fashioned, pot-bellied coal stove. A little boy had the job of coming to school early each day to start the fire and warm the room before his teacher and his classmates arrived.
One morning they arrived to find the schoolhouse engulfed in flames. They dragged the unconscious little boy out of the flaming building more dead than alive. He had major burns over the lower half of his body and was taken to a nearby county hospital.
From his bed the dreadfully burned, semi-conscious little boy faintly heard the doctor talking to his mother. The doctor told his mother that her son would surely die – which was for the best, really – for the terrible fire had devastated the lower half of his body.
But the brave boy didn’t want to die. He made up his mind that he would survive. Somehow, to the amazement of the physician, he did survive. When the mortal danger was past, he again heard the doctor and his mother speaking quietly. The mother was told that since the fire had destroyed so much flesh in the lower part of his body, it would almost be better if he had died, since he was doomed to be a lifetime cripple with no use at all of his lower limbs.
Once more the brave boy made up his mind. He would not be a cripple. He would walk. But unfortunately from the waist down, he had no motor ability. His thin legs just dangled there, all but lifeless.
Ultimately he was released from the hospital. Every day his mother would massage his little legs, but there was no feeling, no control, nothing. Yet his determination that he would walk was as strong as ever.
When he wasn’t in bed, he was confined to a wheelchair. One sunny day his mother wheeled him out into the yard to get some fresh air. This day, instead of sitting there, he threw himself from the chair. He pulled himself across the grass, dragging his legs behind him.
He worked his way to the white picket fence bordering their lot. With great effort, he raised himself up on the fence. Then, stake by stake, he began dragging himself along the fence, resolved that he would walk. He started to do this every day until he wore a smooth path all around the yard beside the fence. There was nothing he wanted more than to develop life in those legs.
Ultimately through his daily massages, his iron persistence and his resolute determination, he did develop the ability to stand up, then to walk haltingly, then to walk by himself – and then – to run.
He began to walk to school, then to run to school, to run for the sheer joy of running. Later in college he made the track team.
Still later in Madison Square Garden this young man who was not expected to survive, who would surely never walk, who could never hope to run – this determined young man, Dr. Glenn Cunningham, ran the world’s fastest mile!”[2]
The fastest mile (June 16, 1934) record was logged at 4 minutes and 6.8 seconds.
In some ways, forgetting that which seems to have held us back seems to be the very antidote to unraveling and revealing the final work that God desires to do through us.
References:
[1] Glenn Cunningham (athlete). (2012, September 17). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 04:22, November 5, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org
/w/index.php?title=Glenn_Cunningham_(athlete)&oldid=513061371
[2] Hansen, Spilchuk, and Jack Canfield. A Cup of Chicken Soup For The Soul. Deerfield Beach, FL: HCI, 2001. Print.