In addition to some pictures of Anne, it contains the following words:
A friend’s harsh words... a chronic injury... a grueling job interview... can slam you into despair. The words “quit now” and “who needs this anyway?” jeer inside your head.
Perseverance means you keep trying when obstacles and opposition taunt you to give up. But fortunately, God is right beside you to give you the strength and endurance you need.
Like a human torpedo shooting across the ice at 75 mph, luger Anne Abernathy has endured numerous broken bones, ruptured ligaments and torn tendons. She’s endured nine knee surgeries and overcome years of lymphatic cancer treatment. She’s also watched Caribbean hurricanes shred her home. Yet she still continues competing.
While many lightheartedly call the oldest competing Winter Olympian “Grandma Luge”, perhaps a better name is “Grandma Perseverance” – Anne will be 49 when she competes in the 2002 Olympics. Many of her competitors will be under 18.
In spite of the obstacles of an aging body, this determined contender gives God the credit for her longevity in a winter sport where she often trains alone in her tropical homeland.
“Clinging to God’s Word has helped me get through. I look at perseverance as overcoming difficult times, or overcoming hardship or resisting temptation,” says Anne. “I wouldn’t have perseverance if I weren’t able to talk to God. I can’t tell you how many times I’m on the treadmill or the bike just praying.”
Anne’s had plenty of reasons to pray. Not long ago her father came out of intensive care from a heart bypass, she went in for knee surgery and her mother passed away. All in one week.
“At that point I didn’t know how to pray, but what comforted me was Romans 8:26, which essentially says, ‘The Spirit prays for us. The Spirit speaks in groans that express what we can’t say’. Even if you don’t know how to pray, the Lord will know how to do it for you.”
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A key verse for Anne is Hebrews 12:1-12, which directs us to “endure hardship as discipline” and to view discipline as training that “produces a harvest of righteousness and peace”.
“I look at the hardships and the trials as part of my training, and believe that they make me strong. As you are going through trying times, you don’t always have the answers, so I encourage you to keep going back to God’s Word and keep praying. When you persevere, you come out a much stronger person.”
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“My faith in Christ has made a big difference,” Anne says. “If you‘ve had a bad time, the good times are so much better and you appreciate life more. And if you persevere with the help of Christ, you can be content.”
Published with special thanks to the International Bible Society.
