Greater than Gold

GREATER THAN GOLD: From Olympic Heartbreak toUltimate Redemption by David Boudia and Tim Ellsworth was such a joy to read, especially since we watched some of the 2016 Olympics, including diving. It is astonishing to me that someone would choose to hurtle towards the water from 10 meters (3-story building). Yikes! David recounts his life in an easy and engaging manner. I enjoyed learning about his family, how much his parents sacrificed for him so that he could pursue his passion (he switched from gymnastics to diving). Ultimately though, it was a story about spiritual awakening. Until he had a personal relationship with Christ, David was pursuing Olympic gold for his own glory. He doesn’t shy away from telling us the kind of person he was: self-serving. But all the material things, praise from others, left him hollow. In fact, so empty, that he even considered ending his life. But a call to his coach changed it all. They introduced him to Jesus and for the first time David was praying to God, not just going through the motions. Of course, it’s not all hunky-dory once you meet Jesus. Every day is a battle. And David wrote about those too, how to keep his eyes fixed on Jesus when all he wanted was to keep his focus on himself. It really showed me the importance of having a spiritual director, of surrounding yourself with friends who also know Jesus, who can pray with you and for you when you are weak. You all know the results. He won GOLD. But what he possesses is something greater than gold, and that is Jesus! I highly recommend this book to any teenager who is interested in sports and the Olympics (it gives an insider’s view of what it’s like being a star athlete). Thanks to BookLook for a review copy. I've also crossposted this on Amazon.