Redemption: A Rebellious Spirit, a Praying Mother, and the Unlikely Path to Olympic Gold
by Bryan Clay
Do your best and let God make it good enough – He Is Faithful!
A pregnant mom’s simple prayer that God would keep her baby
safe, make him healthy and give him purpose was answered in the person of Bryan
Clay. In his book, Redemption, Bryan
tells the story that leads to his success as a Gold Medal Athlete in the
Olympic Decathlon. But, more than just
an athlete’s story, this is a man’s story of what God can do with a life when
we give our best.
The book has a good mix of sports and life experience which
makes an interesting read even for a non-athlete/sports fan. Mature teens could
learn much about how to handle temptation, disappointment, and success by
following Bryan’s examples. I found it interesting how Bryan explains how he
breaks down decathlete events into very basic steps to improve his technique
and performance and how he uses that skill in his life as well. While
considering marriage he analyzed what true love is - an example many could
follow today. While expecting his first child he examined how the various
men/father figures he had known influenced his life. This is a thoughtful,
intentional guy!
Unfortunately Bryan didn’t qualify to defend his title at
the Olympics in London this year. We can be assured, however, that he knows his
life has another purpose “I feel that I have been put on earth not only to win
medals and enjoy the thrill of competition but also, ultimately, to point
people to the faithfulness of God.” ~ Bryan Clay
I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson through
their BookSneeze program.
Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
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