Jim Thorpe was arguably the greatest American athlete of all time. He won the decathlon and pentathlon at the 1912 Olympics. After that, he played pro baseball and football.
In college, his Carlisle track team was invited to compete against the powerful Lafayette College. His school arrived with only five athletes. “Where are your boys?” the Lafayette coach demanded. “I’ve got a team of 46. It’s an eleven-event program!”
Jim Thorpe that day won six of the eleven events himself. His team’s five athletes won a resounding victory over the highly-rated Lafayette team.
This is Howard Butt Jr. of Laity Lodge. Jim Thorpe reminds us that one person’s gifts and commitment can lift an entire team—in the high calling of our daily work.
“Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”— 1 Timothy 4:15-16
