Who can you rely on?

Many years ago, a friend of mine had a chance to go to the Olympics and see the original 1992 Barcelona Olympic “Dream Team” with Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, John Stockton and the like play in Spain. The Dream Team was heavily favored to win the gold; my friend felt confident enough in the team that he bought tickets to the gold medal game before the Olympics even started. The time came, the Dream Team was indeed there, and they defeated Croatia by over 30 points.

As the team got ready for the gold medal ceremony, a couple of wrinkles occurred. Michael Jordan was a Nike guy. In fact, half of the team was under contract with Nike. Nike corporate was fine with pictures during the game of him wearing Reebok gear but only during the game. Outside of that, Nike was the clothing of choice, but with this dispute occurring right after the game some felt the pressure to go out with Reebok gear. Then Michael and a staffer thought of being draped in an American flag, covering up the Reebok logo while others thought of unzipping their jackets and obscuring the logo. But where could they get an American flag in Spain in less than an hour?

The staffer appealed to a group of flag-waving Americans in the stands, and my friend was among those who gave up their flags with a promise that they would be returned. He scratched his address in Utah on the back of a napkin, and she left with three flags and three return addresses from the group. The medal ceremony went off without a hitch while Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson each had a flag draped over their shoulders and the logo.

My friend returned to the states with such wonderful memories of the Olympics that as the weeks went by, he forgot about the flags. Approximately eight weeks later, he got a box in the mail from Colorado Springs with a note of thanks. The box also included some unexpected Olympic memorabilia to show their appreciation for his generosity. He received a basketball signed by the entire team and coaches along with his flag, also signed by the team. She had indeed remembered and had not lost that napkin; she had kept her word and had more than returned it with style that was not expected. My friend was humbled by such a generous expression of thanks.

In today’s world where things are “Just business” and where “It’s nothing personal,” who can you rely on to keep their word, their promise to you? The arm of the flesh can fail us, even if we don’t want it to. Human nature and desires can be very strong and rarely does the promised word exceed your expectations like it did with my friend.

In the KJV Hebrews 13:8 it reads, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and forever.” Christ and his words can be relied upon and trusted, now and forever. There is the children’s bible song based off the parable from KJV Matthew 7:24-27 of the wise man who built his house on a rock, and the floods and winds did not destroy it, however, the house that was built upon the sand collapsed under the winds and water, “and great was the fall of it.”

What is our foundation? How strong is our word? Do we trust the arm of man or that of God? Are we built upon the sand or the rock? I hope that we might be like the staffer and be better than our word. I pray that our foundation is built upon Christ, the foundation that will not change, that will always be there, so that we may not faulter.

Dr John Boston

Dr. Boston is a local physician, member of the Mat-Su Regional Hospital Board of Trustees, Colonel in the Alaska Air National Guard, father, husband, grandfather, and member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.