There a story about an old man who lives in an area that’s being evacuated because of rising flood waters. The local authorities send a police car to bring the man out. But he refuses to leave, saying, “God will save me.”

The waters rise higher and flood all of the surrounding roads. The authorities send a boat to bring the old man to safety. But again, he refuses to leave, saying, “God will save me.”

The flooding continues, and the old man is forced to seek santuary on the roof of his house. This time, a military rescue helicopter hovers overhead. But the old man refuses to climb onboard, saying, “God will save me.”

The inevitable happens. The flood waters rise above the roof of the house. The old man drowns and, with his final breath, cries out, “Lord; I trusted in you. Why did you not save me?”

And God answers, “I tried to. I sent a car, a boat, and a helicopter.”

Why is that story relevant today?

Brin-Jonathan Butler recently wrote an excellent article about Roy Jones for Bleacher Report. When Butler raised subject of retirement, Jones told him, “If God truly wanted me to stop, all He’d have to do is have one doctor at the Mayo Clinic find something wrong with my brain. Just one little CAT scan showing any sign of trauma or damage and I’d be done. I’m right where God wants me to be. To stop now would be to spite God with everything he gave me and everything he has planned. That’s why I’m here, and nobody can tell me different.”

Roy . . . You’ll be 47 years old next month. God has sent Antonio Tarver, Glen Johnson, Danny Green, Denis Lebedev, and Enzo Maccarinelli. Each of them knocked you woozy. Three of them knocked you unconscious. What more do you need?

Thomas Hauser can be reached by email at [email protected]. His most recent book – A Hurting Sport: An Inside Look at Another Year in Boxing – was published by the University of Arkansas Press.