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October 07, 2005
Set:
In 1982, the Miami Dolphins football team faced the New England Patriots at Schaefer Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Snow began to fall during the game, and by the fourth quarter the wintry conditions had contributed to a scoreless tie. But late in the game, the Patriots drove down the field and came within field-goal range, where a successful kick would likely win the game. The New England coach ordered a snowplow to clear a spot for the kicking team, enabling the kicker to set his foot firmly on the turf. As a result, he kicked the game-winning field goal.
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October 07, 2005
Set:
Sometimes I wonder why it is so difficult for coaches to be still and listen. We have no problem knowing how to lead, direct others or give commands. But to whom do we look when we need direction? Who helps us make tough decisions?
We don’t have to look far in Scripture to find a leader with similar challenges. Joshua was a brilliant military leader and had a strong spiritual influence, but his success came because he had learned whom to go to when he faced difficult choices. Joshua knew that unless he first submitted to God, he would never accomplish what he’d been given to do. So when God spoke, Joshua listened and obeyed.
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October 07, 2005
Set:
There are two sayings that I have heard hundreds of times in my life. One is “You can’t tell a book by its cover,” and the other is an advertising statement that assures us “It’s what’s up front that counts.” I would like to take a little liberty with those two statements and apply them to the world of sports. I think that anyone who has played baseball can attest to the fact that “You can’t tell a baseball by its cover” and “It’s what’s inside that counts.”
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October 07, 2005
Set:
When I was a kid, our neighborhood basketball court—the kind with the chain nets—was the place where everybody went to play the best basketball. During the summers, top college and high school players packed the court.
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October 07, 2005
Set:
One of my favorite Bible stories is David versus Goliath. David was small, weaker than most his age and, by the world’s standards, not prepared to play in the “big game” against the Philistines. If we had read the pregame report for this battle, David would not have been on the roster. But David surprised everyone. He was empowered by his belief in a God who could overcome any obstacle or challenge—even a Philistine giant!
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October 07, 2005
Set:
Many of us learned the “Jesus Loves Me” song as children, but the last part always bothered me: ”Jesus loves me! This I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong; They are weak but He is strong.” To me, displaying weakness seemed to contradict the very goal of competition.
As I was learning to compete in athletics, the idea of embracing weakness seemed ridiculous. I thought that I had to renounce all that I had learned in the gym in order to become weak. I mean, who has ever been chosen for a team for being the weakest player? Who breaks into a starting lineup because she is weaker than her teammates? I wanted to be strong and display that power for anyone who cared to watch.
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October 07, 2005
Set:
At the beginning of every football season, Coach Tom Landry would give his players his priorities: God, family and football, in that order. By keeping these priorities, he avoided the madness and chaos that often consume a coach’s life.
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October 07, 2005
Set:
When problems come into our lives, we all respond in various ways. A “thinker” chews on the problem and looks at it from every possible angle. A “talker” seeks the wisdom and advice of others. A “doer” goes at the problem head-on and works hard to find a solution. A “reactor” has a negative emotional outburst and explodes in the midst of difficulty.
But I believe that God wants our first response to be prayer, though that isn’t often our first reaction. No matter how big or small our problems are, He wants us to present our requests to Him first. As Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will support you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.”
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October 07, 2005
Set:
I love baseball! It is an individual sport that relies on a team for a successful outcome. It also is the only American sport in which, during a stoppage in play, a manager or coach can approach an umpire to dispute a rule or argue a call. Unfortunately, we’ve all seen a manager throwing a tantrum, kicking dirt on the plate or verbally abusing an umpire. And we’ve also seen the umpire retaliating in anger and, sometimes, losing control. It’s hard to have someone yell at us or challenge our character in any setting, but especially in front of peers and spectators in a stadium.
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October 07, 2005
Set:
The Boston Red Sox saw little potential in their 24-year-old pitcher. He’d had a couple of decent years, but he had showed little sign of improvement. Eventually, the team traded him to the New York Yankees, who decided to move him to the outfield to utilize his strong arm. The Yankees also believed that he could become a good hitter. They were right. Years later, few people remember that Babe Ruth began his career as a mediocre pitcher in Boston!
