Manuel de los Santos

I haven't really blogged for a while; it being Freshers week and the start of term has given me hardly any spare time! But my new timetable gives me Wednesdays almost completely free, I only have a 9-11 workshop so I have the rest of the day to do something productive!

So, today, I saw a very interesting article on Sky Sports News about an up and coming amateur golfer named Manuel de los Santos (pictured above). Now the picture above doesn't immediately seem anything unusual, but it doesn't quite seem right. This is because he has only one leg! Originally a baseball player from the Dominican Republic, he had a motorcycle accident whilst on the verge of joining Major League baseball team, Toronto Blue Jays. He awoke 4 days later with one less leg, ruining his baseball career. However, armed with a baseballers grip and a natural balance, he realised he could swing, and hit a ball, very well and now, sponsored by Allianz, he has been put on several golf tour, playing alongside professional players and some celebrities. (See this video for some one-legged action!)

He says that it is a 'dream come true' (in this Times article) and even better, he refuses to use a prosthetic leg and walks from shot to shot on a pair of crutches, not even using a buggy. 'It's a sport, I'm an athlete. I walk' he says, not only overcoming his disability but taking part in sport with a much better attitude than a lot of able sportsmen and women. It's a story of inspiration, overcoming adversity through sport, and is an excellent example of how every cloud has a silver lining.

As a Christian, I really believe this is also, similarly, an example of God in control in this world. Bad things happen, obviously, because sin is in all of our lives and has cursed the world. But far from God being a loveless God by letting bad things happen, He uses them to further the things He has called us to do. The Bible is full of people obeying God's call, even Job who lost everything worldly, for God's plan for us is the best plan we could ever wish for.