Race to the Finish

This is a true story about a mentally handicapped young man named Harlan, who was raised by his grandparents after being abandoned by his mother. One afternoon, neighborhood bullies were attacking Harlan when 16-year-old, Paul, who was returning from school, jumped in and defended him. This unusual, yet divine meeting became the genesis for one of the most encouraging stories ever told. A few days later, Paul was playing street football with friends as Harlan watched. Paul invited him to play, despite the jokes from the others. Harlan went for a pass, sprinting past defenders and all the other players, as if they where standing still. Paul realized Harlan had a God-given gift and talked him into using that gift to run track, teaching him to compete in the 100-yard dash. Paul faced ridicule from classmates for his association with "that la-mo" and became insecure about teaching Harlan. But throughout the training process, Paul and others learned about God's love through Harlan. Their bonds of friendship gave them the courage and determination to carry on and their faith in God was a light to all that would witness this miracle unfold. This real life event happened to me, Greg Robbins (Paul) when I was 12 and 13 years old.