Heroes

Phillip A. Bishop,

Exercise Physiology
University of Alabama

[Sept. 12, 2010]–

“We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up…discovering we have the strength to stare it down.” Eleanor Roosevelt

Last year I knew that I would be going to the International Congress on Sport, Physical Education and Health in Costa Rica. As is my habit, I let the local Campus Crusade staff know I was coming, in case there was anything I could do to help the ministry. Sometimes when I travel, this means having a cup of coffee with a small group of believers who need encouragement; other times it’s speaking to large groups.

Carlos Tenorio, Crusade’s national director, contacted Cinthia, a Christian professor, and encouraged her to figure out some way for me to be useful. He suggested arranging an evening meeting with a few professors. Shortly after arriving in San Jose, I learned I was, instead, scheduled to present a paper in a workshop titled, “The role of God in the exercise profession, one professor’s experience.”

Disconcerted

Immediately I was a bit disconcerted to hear that in a secular conference on physical education, I was scheduled to give a spiritual talk! What would come of this?

I reported for my morning workshop expecting to have a handful of sheepish participants. Actually there was only one person present. While we set up the computer and projector, a few more filtered in. However, by the time the talk was actually rolling, there were people sitting outside the door because all the seats in the room were filled.

The audience was enthusiastic and the interest was amazingly high – a rebuke to my own lack of faith. We heard later that only a few people attended the other workshops. One of the participants wrote that, “This workshop was an answer to prayer because I was seeking spiritual encouragement.” A young student, who had his own radio program, taped an interview.

Determined To Obey

Later on, I asked Cinthia why she felt she could schedule a spiritual talk at a secular Congreso. She stated quite simply and directly, “I felt the Holy Spirit telling me to do it, so I did.” She went on to say that she had raised the eyebrows of some of her colleagues when she added this spiritual workshop to the schedule, but that she had heard from God and was determined to obey.

From a previous trip to South America I had one of my testimonies in Spanish that dealt with science and Christianity. As I often do, I forgot to hand them out during my workshop.

The Congreso ended and each participant was given a packet with a completion certificate and other items. I saw a fellow who had been in my workshop and offered him a copy of my Spanish testimony. He said he already had one. Confused, I discovered that Cinthia had duplicated enough copies for every Congreso participant to have one.

Who would have done that? Cinthia is a busy professor like all of us; it would have been easier – safer –to focus only on her work. She was willing to ask God what to do, to listen, and then to do what HE said, even if it never put her in the spotlight. In my book, she’s a hero.

© 2010 Phillip A Bishop

Least Likely

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