Rick Hoyt was born in 1962 to Dick and Judy Hoyt. As a result of oxygen deprivation to Rick’s brain at the time of his birth, Rick was diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. Dick and Judy were advised to institutionalize Rick because there was no chance of him recovering, and little hope for Rick to live a “normal” life. Dick and Judy soon realized that though Rick couldn’t walk or speak; he was quite astute and his eyes would follow them around the room…. In the spring of 1977, Rick told his father that he wanted to participate in a 5-mile benefit run for a Lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Far from being a long-distance runner, Dick agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair and they finished all 5 miles, coming in next to last. That night, Rick told his father, “Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.” That was all his father needed…now they have over 1,000 races completed, including marathons, duathlons and triathlons (6 of them being Ironman competitions). Also adding to their list of achievements, Dick and Rick biked and ran across the U.S. in 1992, completing a full 3,735 miles in 45 days.

Rick was once asked, if he could give his father one thing, what would it be? Rick responded, “The thing I’d most like is for my dad to sit in the chair and I would push him for once.”

Watch the video here    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kt7w8hV90SI&feature=related

Elite Athletes like Dick Hoyt understand something that many of us with a few “too many pounds and a day job” have forgotten. That is this: In order to gain what we ultimately want we must change the way we look at pain, inconvenience, setbacks and challenges.

James 1:2-4

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

The amount of sacrifice and struggle and trials that the Hoyts have gone through is really inspirational. He seems to GET what we sometimes forget. THAT in the CHRISTIANS LIFE….

1. DISCIPLINE IS HARD BUT REWARDING.Just ask anyone who has lost weight, made the team, gotten the job, raised good kids, paid off the house etc…..  –  Hebrews 12:11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
2. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT TRIALS THE WAY GOD DOES. (James 1:2-4)
3. WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE QUESTIONS WE ASK. Instead of asking…is this going to make me happy? Ask is this beneficial for my faith? Does it draw me closer to the Lord?
4. WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT Grief, Trials and Tests are the way God conforms us to the image of Jesus. (Romans 8:28)
5. GOD WILL WILLINGLY INTERRUPT OUR LIVES TO TRANSFORM US…to rescue YOU from YOU!