Seven Bucks

By David A. Sargent       UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) is a brutal sport, but out of the arena comes a heartwarming story.     Themba Gorimbo is from Zimbabwe.  He lost his parents at a young age.  He later almost lost his life while illegally mining for diamonds in Zimbabwe.  He became a UFC fighter to make his way through life.  This journey brought him to Miami where he convinced his coach to allow him to sleep on a couch in the gym so he could train to become a better fighter.     Gorimbo trained and entered the ring.  He won his first professional fight on May 20, 2023.  Instead of spending his earnings on himself (for a place to live, etc.), he sent the money he made from the fight back home to Zimbabwe to help provide his village with a water well.  His generosity is magnified when we understand that before winning his first fight, Gorimbo had only $7 in the bank.     Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson heard about Gorimbo, and he wanted to help him.  Johnson flew to Miami to meet Gorimbo in person.  When they met, Johnson told Gorimbo: “Your story moved me. When I found out you had seven bucks in your bank account — I know what that’s like. I was here in Miami when I had seven bucks,” Johnson said. “But then, you win your fight, and you sell your fight kit, you buy a water well for your village in Zimbabwe so your people can have clean water… You could have taken that money and put it down on a car, on an apartment. But you didn’t. You took care of your people, and that just says exactly who you are and that’s why I flew all the way in, man, just to look you in the eyes, brother, and tell you I got your back.”     And how did Johnson “have his back”?  Johnson asked Gorimbo to go for a ride with him.  He took him to a house under the guise of introducing Gorimbo to a friend who could help him.  When they went into the house, Johnson surprised Gorimbo with the keys to the home; he had purchased it for him.  He already had pictures of Gorimbo’s family on display in his new home.     To say that Gorimbo was overwhelmed with gratitude is an understatement.  This gift stirred generosity in his heart again.  Gorimbo told Johson that he had been saving money to buy a home.  Now, since Johnson had provided a home for him, he was going to send the money he had saved to build another well in Zimbabwe.     “I am very grateful of [‘the Rock’] for what he did for me and my family. This was the best day of my life. This was a life changing day. My life has been changed, and I will use this as motivation to change others lives, too. I am very very grateful to everyone.”     Because of our sins, we have been left destitute – spiritually bankrupt – and doomed (Romans 6:23).     But God loves us so much that He gave His one and only Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16).  Through His atoning death and our acceptance of His offer of salvation, we can share in the abundant spiritual blessings that God offers: forgiveness of sins, peace that passes understanding, a forever family (the church), an eternal home in heaven, and more (Ephesians 1:3).     God will share these blessings with those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  He will continue to cleanse from sin and prepare an eternal home for those who continue to walk in light of His word (1 John 1:7-9).     In our sin, we have less than seven bucks, spiritually.  Yet, our loving God desires to share with us the glorious spiritual riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:7).  As Gorimbo tweeted, “God is the greatest.”

- David A. Sargent, minister for the Church of Christ at Creekwood in Mobile, Alabama, is also the editor of an electronic devotional entitled "Living Water." To learn more about this excellent resource contact David via their website: http://www.creekwoodcc.org * Information gleaned from “Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson buys UFC fighter new home after first win: ‘Your story moved me’” by Paulina Dedaj of Fox News, www.foxnews.com.