The Faith of Olympic Champion Gabby Douglas and the Strength of Her Mother

History was made today for a special young gymnast with a heart for God.  Gabrielle “Gabby” Douglas became the first African-American to win the Olympic women’s all-around competition in gymnastic.  She earned the gold medal in London while sharing her faith with the world.

The day before Gabrielle “Gabby” Douglas began the olympic gymnastic competitions, she tweeted:

Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be discouraged, for the Lord will be with you wherever you go!

Gabby shared a biblical word from Joshua 1:9.  God certainly kept his promise.  She went on to qualify for the all around final and shared again on twitter:

I believe in God.  He is the secret of my success.  He gives people talent.

Gabby and her team-mates won the Olympic gold medal in gymnastics.   She, then, tweeted a passage from Matthew 6:33:

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you.

I was blessed to see Gabby share her faith.  She acknowledged the truth that God is the source of our gifts and talents.   The Lord was there for Gabby, as well her mother,  to provide strength.

Gabby’s mother, Natalie Hawkins, made a difficult decision to allow Gabby to leave their Virginia Beach home.  Over 3,000 miles away, the Parton family in Iowa became Gabby’s host family in order for her to train with elite coach Liang Chow.  This is a nice video of Gabby pursuing her dream and her mother having to let go.

As mothers, we have to remember that letting go of our children does not mean we are no longer there for them.  We train them so, once they leave home, they can stand…run…jump….and go for the gold.