Come to find out, it got stuck as it was rising. But they did a great job covering it up. The message this evening at the service was very appropriate for the games and particularly special for me as I have been praying and asking God to create in me a heart that seeks to please Him and not man. The Nigerian team was there and that was very powerful because they had one of their team members die when he got hit by a bus while out jogging in the city. The Nigerian team is filled with Holy Spirit-filled Christians.
Confidence is a big factor in how one performs.
The Bible says that we must believe in our hearts that whatever we ask in faith will come to pass. That takes confidence. Confidence in God and confidence in what you believe about yourself. The Lord is teaching me what it means to have confidence in Him. It is just that with each new challenge there is a much deeper level of knowledge and faith that is often required.