Frank Haven was born August 1, 1924. This is an interesting fact, one canoeing enthusiasts are more apt to know than others. Yet, it is interesting to to note circumstances surrounding his birth. His father, Bill Havens, was a member of the Yale rowing crew selected to compete in the 1924 Olympics in Paris, France. But, Bill’s wife was pregnant and out of loyalty and concern for her he decided not to travel over and compete. It turns out that Frank was born after the closing ceremonies.
Somewhere along the line, Frank decided to become a competitive canoeist. In 1952, Frank won the Gold Medal in canoeing at the Helsinki, Finland, Olympics. He also won the national canoeing championship seven out of 12 years between 1950 and 1961, and he also won Silver at the 1948 Olympics (info taken from Hickoksports.com).
Bill was committed to his wife. He had a proper understanding of priorities and in what order they should be placed. Priorities are a tricky thing. We tend to place them in the order we convince ourselves they belong. Often, we simply give in to our tendencies, desires, and preferences, then rationalize that we have chosen what is truly most important. While we might make the right choice if put into a “big” situation like Frank Haven faced, but what about “little” situations that pop up every day? Maybe we convince ourselves our kids really need our encouragement and support as they play a sport, so we choose to take them there on a Sunday morning. Maybe we let an opportunity to evangelize go by the boards because we are concerned we will sacrifice good rapport with someone. Maybe we are tired after a long day at work, so we choose to watch TV rather than call, write, or visit that struggling Christian who crosses our minds.
Sometimes, it is hard to know if our choice is a winning or losing choice. It may take some time (or even eternity) before we know for sure. Jesus teaches that sometimes we must lose to win (Matt. 16:25). It is a matter of determining what we are choosing to lose and what we stand to win!
Neal Pollard