Leaving Gold for God -- An interview with Sally Ward

November 18, 2009 by Timothy Dalrymple

Continued from Page 5

My advice would be: every morning, put God first in your life. Let him make your decisions, and learn how to be led by the Holy Spirit. When we follow God first, He will lead us to green pastures and still waters. God is your direction, your comforter, and the most important thing in your life is to grow deeper and stronger in your relationship with him.

We should enjoy our careers and our hobbies, but we should not become obsessed with them. People are afraid that if they do not promote themselves, no one will, and if they do not spend every waking hour pursuing their goals, they cannot achieve them. Yet when you honor God above sports and above everything else in this world, God will promote you. If we continue to grow spiritually and give glory to God and be thankful, that will bring success.

I know that it works because I've done it. I know that God is more than faithful, and that He never leaves or forsakes us. God is the One who remains with us through it all. From the beginning of our careers to the end, in or out of sports, whether we are with our families or on the other side of the world, God is with us always.

After retiring from rhythmic gymnastics, Sally Ward attended high school and graduated from bible school in 2001. Touring with Girls of Grace, and speaking at events for teens and troubled youth, she has taught and shared her testimony before thousands of young people.

She is presently a youth minister at Word of Faith Christian Center in Round Rock, Texas, under Bishop Keith A. Butler. She has taught at the Bible Training Center in Round Rock and remains a motivational speaker.

This appears together with other articles and interviews, including interviews with Samantha Peszek, Dominique Moceanu and Stephen McCain, on Gymnastics, Faith and Olympic Glory.

Timothy Dalrymple edits the Evangelical Portal at Patheos.

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About Timothy Dalrymple

Timothy Dalrymple is the CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Polymath Innovations, a strategic storytelling agency that advances the good with visionary organizations and brands. He leads a unique team of communicators from around North America and across the creative spectrum, serving mission-driven businesses and nonprofits who need a partner to amplify their voice and good works. Once a world-class gymnast whose career ended with a broken neck, Tim channeled his passions for faith and storytelling into his role as VP of Business Development for Patheos, helping to launch and grow the network into the world's largest religion website. He holds a Ph.D. in Religion from Harvard's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Tim blogs at Philosophical Fragments.

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