I like to run for fun, but Lopez Lomong ran for his life! The story of his transformation from Sudanese “lost boy” to USA Olympic athlete is a moving one, marked throughout by his belief that God was for him. Kidnaped at the tender age of 6, and taken to a “camp” where boys were turned into rebel soldiers, Lopez met three “angels”, who helped him survive in the desperate situation, and took him with them during a daring escape when they literally ran for their lives for days on end.
Throughout the following 10 years in a Kenyan refugee camp, the selection process to go to America, and the huge changes that came with his adoption by an American family, Lopez’ faith in God’s provision never wavered. Time and again he testifies to God’s action in his life, giving God the glory for the choices he made at each step, from where to attend school, to the timing of his decision to turn “pro”. After becoming a US citizen in 2007, Lopez was eligible to run for the USA at the 2008 Olympics, and was elected as flagbearer by his peers. He continues to work hard to better conditions in his native Sudan, and those efforts are also detailed in the book.
This book challenged me: faced with the same dire circumstances Lopez encountered, would my faith be as simple or as strong? Even when his situation seemed to get worse instead of better, he continued to trust, and that trust was shown to be valid by his faithful God. We should aspire to that same level of belief in the God Who will meet all our needs.
I received this book free of charge from Thomas Nelson Publishers, and was not required to write a positive review.
