(Image reproduced from YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBNWK8BcF38)

The recent news of Colin Schooling’s death struck me, both as a keen follower of sports as well as a father.

It was the senior Schooling who believed in his son’s gift as a swimmer, and who gave Joseph the courage to become Singapore’s first Olympic gold medalist. And it was Colin, and his wife May, who spent many years—and a large part of their savings—to ensure that their son could follow his dream to compete at the Olympics one day.

Joseph, the Schoolings’ only son, must have been a joyous, priceless gift to his parents, especially as they suffered three miscarriages.

As a father myself, I find Colin’s story especially touching and inspiring.

Colin showed me what a father’s love truly meant. He was willing to sacrifice everything he had for his son. Past news reports have spoken of how Colin had helped to nurture his son’s gift in the water by giving selflessly of his time and fatherly love to Joseph.

I’m sure many parents desire their children to attain their fullest potential and to be the best in what they do. But Colin’s wholehearted commitment and passion to his son is exemplary. It’s a wonderful inspiration of how parents can encourage their kids to follow their dreams.

His story reminds me of another father’s sacrificial love, and a son’s unusual aspiration.

The Bible speaks of how God had given His one and only Son, Jesus, to be a sacrifice on the cross to pay for our sins.

Jesus, who came into the world as a human, grew up a healthy and strong child. According to Luke 2:52, He was filled with wisdom and found favour with God and people. His one key aspiration in life was to reconcile man to God.

Seeing that sin had broken and separated man’s relationship with God, Jesus made it His life mission to bridge this gap. But He knew that this could be achieved only by bearing the sins of man himself. And He did this by dying on the cross so that “we might live through him” (1 John 4:9).

What an amazing God we have! We believe in a Father who loved us so much that He was willing to give up His only beloved Son. And we follow a Son who came to us with one purpose in life—to die for us, so that we might live with God and for God.

Thank You, Father, for Your loving, sacrificial love and gift of Your Son. And thank You, Jesus, for giving up Your life for me. I want to follow in Your footsteps, to be a light in showing others the way to God. Help me to watch my speech and my actions, that they will attract others to know You and to taste of Your goodness.