Nicolas Mahut professional tennis player from France

An Embrace to Remember

Nicolas Mahut is a professional tennis player from France. He began his professional career in 2000
at the age of 18. Perhaps Mahut's best known performance was a match that he played against
American John Isner at Wimbledon in 2010. The match lasted a total of 11 hours and five minutes.
It was played over a three day period. Although Mahut lost that match, he will be remembered for
playing hard in that record-breaking match.

Mahut may also be remembered for a long time for something that happened after a recent match in the
French Open.

Mahut started off his own country's tournament well, winning his first and second round matches
against Marco Cecchinato and Philipp Kohlschreiber, respectively. His third round match-up was
against Argentinian Leonardo Mayer. Mayer won the match knocking Mahut out of the tournament.
After the last game was over, Mahut sat courtside, weary and disappointed. His facial expression
changed and the crowd began clapping as someone ran across the court to Mahut. It was his son,
Natanal, age 7. Natanel embraced his Dad and whispered something in his ear. Video footage of
their encounter has gone viral on social media. As the crowd at the French Open cheered, Mahut got
up, gathered his gear, and walked off the court, hand-in-hand with his son. *

Even though Mahut lost the match, he won the hearts of many onlookers because of the love of his son
- a son who loves his father even after losing the contest.

You and I have lost many "matches." "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
(Romans 3:23). Despite our best efforts, each and every one of us has failed. Yet, there is
Someone "running across the court" to us. It's the Son of God. His Father sent Him to us to save
us from our sins (see Luke 19:10). Our sins separate us from the Father (Isaiah 59:1-2), but our
Savior reconciles us to Him (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). In order to save us from our sins, Jesus had
to die on the cross to pay the price for our redemption (Ephesians 1:7).

Jesus will save us from our sins and give us the gift of eternal life when we place our faith and
trust in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turn from our sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before
men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts
2:38). When we accept His offer of salvation and eternal life in this way, we are washed from our
sins and added to the family of God, the church (Acts 2:41, 47).

We will continue to struggle with sin (1 John 1:8), but we are promised that if we continue to walk
in the light of His Word that the blood of Jesus will continue to cleanse us from all sin (1 John
1:7-9). If we stray far away but realize the error of our ways, turn from them, and seek to return
to the Father, we will see Someone "running across the court" to meet us again: our Heavenly Father.
He will embrace us and welcome us back. See this truth portrayed in the story of the Prodigal Son
in Luke 15:11-32.

The embrace of the Father welcoming home his wayward but penitent son is one to remember. This
embrace can be realized in your own life, if you will only accept the Father's love and forgiveness
through your trusting obedience.

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from "French Tennis Star Nicolas Mahut's Son Runs Onto Court to Console Him
After French Open Loss" by Ashley Boucher, Microsoft News, www.msn.com.