“God gave each of you a gift. Use them well." ~ 1
Peter 4:10
Gatorade quenched her thirst, but didn’t
cool her focus. Competition at today’s
state high school track meet was hotter than the outside temperature. Now at 8 feet, the crossbar was set three
inches higher than Aria’s personal best.
Completing her stretching exercises, she rolled over and did
a few push-ups for good luck. She found
her pole, stood and stepped onto the runway.
A trickle of cold sweat ran down her back.
Arai banished the tension from her body. She was in her ‘zone’ now. Only the sweet sound of robins chirping in
the distance broke the silence. It was
her time to ‘fly.’
She took a deep breath and began sprinting down the
runway. It felt wonderfully familiar -
like the aromatic pines that lined the country road near her home.
Planting the pole in the ‘box seamlessly, she started her
ascent. Her take-off was effortless.
Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Aria was soaring with the splendor of an
eagle.
Over the crossbar, she pushed away her pole. But her elbow caught the crossbar knocking it
off the standard. Her first attempt at 9
feet failed.
But Aria knew SHE was not a failure.
She’d only been vaulting for about 6 weeks. Even more impressive however, was the fact
that Aria Ottmueller, a 17-year-old Valley Christian High School junior was legally
blind.
On overcast days, Ottmueller couldn’t see anything. Having no peripheral vision or depth
perception, she relied on basic shapes and other senses. None of that stopped her from pursuing her
athletic ambitions – gymnastics, cheerleading, horse jumping, and now pole
vaulting.
So how does a person with so little sight learn a skill most
regular folks lack the coordination to? Memory and meticulous repetition.
Ottmueller can’t see much of anything when she's pole
vaulting. Not her approach, not the bar
she's trying to clear or the mattress she'll land on - nada. Instead, she counts the steps on her approach
to a jump, and from that knows when to plant the pole.
When questioned, Aria insists that it was just the next
thing she wanted to try, the next thing her blindness wouldn't keep her from at
least attempting. That's all she hopes
others take from her story. "Before
you say you can't do it, at least try it!
Then figure out another way around an obstacle in order to achieve your
goal."
God gave each of us unique abilities, talents, and gifts. Whether you’re a musician or an engineer; an
athlete or a cook, God gave you those abilities to inspire others. He’s testing you to see how you’re going to
use the talents He gave you. Use the
well.
Lord, You gave each of us the ability to do
certain things well. Help us to remember
that these gifts we have received are not ours alone. You gave them to us for the purpose of serving
You and serving other people. Amen
