My daughter, Claude, is an eighth-grader and a competitive gymnast in Ontario, Canada. Last spring, she was training for the Ontario Provincial Games, slipped on the balance beam, and banged her elbow. After that she could barely move her arm.
Because she'd missed the competition the previous year due to another injury, Claude was very concerned. She was afraid she'd be sidelined again during the most important competition of the year.
Because our family has always prayed about all kinds of things, it was natural for my daughter and me to pray about this. And we asked a Christian Science practitioner to pray with us. The practitioner helped us get beyond the idea that sports injuries are inevitable. That was helpful, because injuries tend to be the main topic of discussion among coaches, athletes, and parents. In fact, the six athletes Claude trained with almost all had one injury or another they were coping with. As we prayed, we really tried to understand that sports and injury don't have to go hand in hand. God would never require anyone to suffer for their efforts to put into practice the strength, flexibility, beauty, and poise that actually come from Him in the first place.
