After qualifying for the 2016 Olympics in the 100m sprint, U.S. runner English Gardner broke down, fell on her knees, and cried out, “Thank you, Jesus. O God I praise you!”
I love watching the Olympics. I am inspired by athletes who have dedicated years towards their craft. I am moved witnessing people who acknowledge not only their own hard work, but the sacrifices many people have made for them. They thank their family, friends, coaches, and their country for helping them reach that special moment on the Olympic stage.
God has been slowly working in each of us over the last 10, 20, 50, 80 years. God labors each day so our hearts beat and our lungs breathe. God shapes us through our relationships, experiences, struggles, and joys. The creator dreams us to be all that we are. How have you given glory to God for your “talents?”
—Ryan Mak, S.J., a Jesuit scholastic of the California Jesuit province, is studying philosophy at Loyola University Chicago.