To Excel As A Downhill Skier,

TO EXCEL AS A DOWNHILL SKIER, an athlete must always be on the brink of disaster. And disaster almost struck Hermann Maier during the downhill in the 1998 Nagano Olympics.

The Austrian skier attempted to turn left on an icy bend during his run. But his skis glossed over the snow, and Maier flew off the course, traveling more than 70 mph. The high winds, which had forced the run to be altered before the race, carried him into the air and made his body look like a plastic grocery sack blowing along the ground.

The “Hermanator,” as fans called him, tumbled over and over like a rag doll before some orange safety netting caught him over 50 yards from the accident site.

As Maier lay still in the snow, many assumed he was dead. But suddenly, the gold-medal favorite stood up and walked away. Hermann had suffered only minor injuries to his shoulder and knee. And thousands soon watched as Maier transformed into a surprising survivor.

Despite the pain, he returned to the slopes within days. Showing no ill effects from the dangerous accident, Maier captured gold medals in both the Super G and the giant slalom.

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POINT Some sports carry significant risks. Each time a skier straps on his boards or a NASCAR driver gets behind the wheel, he or she faces serious injury or death.

But the greatest risk in life isn’t physical death. It’s death without Jesus. And unlike spending a lot of money on safety equipment, assurance of eternal safety is free for us. Christ already paid the price on the cross.

What we have to do is to confess our wrongs, ask Jesus to forgive us, and put our trust in him as Savior. Eternal life is ours for the asking.

GOAL! If you don’t already know you’ll live forever in heaven, will you pray to God now? You can say something like, “Dear God, please forgive me. I know I’m a sinner. I believe Jesus died and rose from the dead so I could be forgiven of my sins. Thank you for allowing me to have a personal relationship with you. Amen.”