There are countless inspirational stories when it comes to the Olympic Games as we learn about the incredible backstories of these athletes. However, one of my favorite Olympic stories had nothing to do with the athletes.
Let me take you back to the Summer Olympics hosted by Beijing, China. Like any opening ceremony of the Olympics, each country comes in alphabetical order, with the host country coming in last. They always have a flag bearer, someone designated from that country to carry their flag. In these games, Yao Ming, a famous basketball player, was chosen to walk into the Olympic stadium during the opening ceremonies. But Yao Ming was not alone. He was walking hand in hand, side by side, with a seven-year-old boy named Lin Hao.
Why was this 7-year-old, who was obviously not an athlete competing in the Olympics, walking on this world stage? It was because he did something so extraordinary that they added him to the lineup. You see, right before the Olympics started, his elementary school was the epicenter of an earthquake. Lin Hao got out safely, but as soon as he got out, he went back in. He went searching for any classmates who may have been buried in the rubble. He found a classmate, removed the rocks, and carried that classmate to safety. And then he did it again. He went back in, searching for more students, and found a second student, carrying that student to safety as well.
And there’s more. He gathered all the surviving children, put them into a circle, and led them in song to keep them calm until the adults arrived to rescue them. At seven years old, Lin Hao displayed remarkable courage and leadership.
When I was seven years old, would I have been that proactive? I’m not so sure! Well, the media got ahold of Lin Hao’s story and interviewed him. They asked, why did you do it? Why did you go back into that building and save those classmates? This little boy, just seven years old, said, “It was my job. I am the hall monitor.” Don’t you love that? He didn’t wait for a teacher, didn’t wait for a principal, didn’t wait for another student. He took his job as a hall monitor so seriously that he took action.
This story makes me think, what are we waiting for? What can we do in our life that’s more proactive? Maybe there’s something in our life where we’re waiting for permission, waiting for someone to tell us what to do. In fact, we don’t need to wait. We can just act.
So, whether it’s the Olympic Games or just extraordinary stories, look for those human-interest examples to inspire you to get out of the balcony, move through general admission, and live your life in the front row.
Have a great Front-Row Friday.
Your Head Usher,
Marilyn
