There is estimated to be 10,500 athletes, 160 boats, a 3.7-mile route along the River Seine.
It is set to be the first Olympic opening ceremony to be held outside a stadium.
Wow what an event it will be. People lined along the river, waving flags, celebrating. Wish I was there!
It is believed more than one billion people around the world will be watching the event.
Spare a through for Hansle Parchment.
At the Toyko Olympics he was in a predicament. He caught the bus to the wrong place for his semi final and was left stranded with little hope of getting to the right stadium on time.
Thankfully he met Trijana Stojkovic, a volunteer helping out at the games. She gave him some money to take a taxi.
Parchment made it to the semi final on time and eventually clinched the gold medal in the 110m hurdle.
Later, he went back to find Stojkovic and thanked her for her kindness.
In Luke 17, we read Jesus had entered a village where He met ten lepers.
All of them asked Jesus for healing, and all of them experienced His grace and power.
Ten were happy that they’d been healed, but only one returned to express his gratitude.
He “came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him” (verses 15–16).
Every day, we experience God’s blessings in multiple ways.
It could be as dramatic as an answered prayer to an extended time of suffering or receiving timely help from a stranger.
Sometimes, His blessings can come in ordinary ways too, such as good weather to accomplish an outdoor task.
Like the Samaritan leper, let’s remember to thank God for His kindness toward us.
~ contributed by Sandra Whyborn of the Deniliquin Salvation Army, on behalf of Deniliquin’s Combined Churches.
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