“I can’t process this, there’s no way!”

That’s what Alysa Liu said celebrating her comeback from having quit skating at the age of 16, followed by her historic victory in the 2025 World Championships after she had returned to skating.

Entering the awards tunnel in Milan yesterday as the new Olympic champion, Alysa was beaming with joy, just as she had while she soared across the ice.

Along with the excitement of bringing home Team USA’s first women’s single Olympic gold in over 20 years, Alysa’s performance crowned an incredible journey in her life from burnout to fresh motivation for her sport.

Stories like Alysa’s vividly showcase an aspect of God’s design for all human beings that is often overlooked. Even in far less dramatic achievements, there’s a yearning inside the human heart that cannot be easily quantified.

In part 4 of our Windows on Eternity series, we’ll see a similar fascinating fact. It’s truly awesome: God placed something inside of you that will outlive you. That “inside equipment” makes living for God an absolutely exciting adventure. Just as every athlete competing in the Olympics knows, the “game” begins on the inside. Winning moves on ice skates or in any other competition occur in micro-seconds. The winner’s “edge” arises from skills honed through intense training.

Drawing from that aspect of the Greek games in his own generation, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian churches about “competing for an imperishable crown…” (I Corinthians 9:25). He too spoke of an “intense training”, even using the word “gymnasium” as a metaphor for the experiences in life that train us in the awesome pursuit of knowing, loving and trusting God.

As the exuberant joy of a winner like Alysa Liu inspires millions this week, her achievement shows again the long-term value of training for a great goal.

All of us, in our walk with God individually and as a church are engaging in a daily competition as well. It’s a certainty. In each generation and in every phase of our own lives, there are obstacles and hazards that put our faith to the test. It’s not surprising that a servant of God like the Apostle Paul would draw inspiration from the Greek games. In his own experience, Paul’s passion for proclaiming the good news of his risen Savior had required pressing through intense discouragement and overcoming daunting obstacles. Resilience in the face of many adversaries made that “inside equipment” that Paul writes about in the Corinthian letters a huge part of his own story.

I can easily imagine, in fact, that whenever we begin to grasp how powerful Christ’s “inside equipment” is for each of us, we’ll say something like Alysa said: “I can’t process this, there’s no way!” God’s grace flowing to the child of God through the resurrection of Jesus is that good! In fact, that’s another reason why we sing! Worship is the best way to process the glory of God’s plan for our lives.

Looking Ahead…