There was a teenager who played on a high school football team in Nebraska. Well, he really didn’t get to play in most games. He wasn’t that talented at all but he had a lot of spirit and the coach liked that. He was at every practice, tried his best and cheered his teammates on during their games. His father was also at every practice and every game in the bleachers.
One day, the young man had missed a practice. The coach, being worried, gave him a call after practice. He told his coach that his father had died the night before. The coach tried to console the young man and asked if there was anything he could do for him. The boy replied, “There is one thing coach, I want to start in the game next week.” This threw the coach back, he knew that the game was the State Championship game, but he figured he would let him start the first play and then take him out.
A week later this young man found himself in the huddle of the opening drive with his team. He insisted adamantly that the quarterback give him the ball. The quarterback was not supposed to give him the ball, but saw the tenacity in his eyes and decided he would take the risk.
The young man, with no talent, grabbed that ball and ran 50 yards! The coach and team were ecstatic and decided to keep him in. The young man went on to run for 4 touchdowns! He broke records that had been unbeaten for years, and of course, they won the championship.
After the game the coach called the young man aside and told him that he had seen many players over the years move it up a notch or two during big games, but nothing like that. The coach asked him how he did it. To this the young man replied, “Well coach, you know how my father used to come to every practice and game?” The coach said, “Yes.” The young man went on to say, “There was something you might not have noticed, did you ever see how I would put my arm around his back as we walked out?” The coach, thinking back, said, “Yeah, I kind of remember that, what about it?” The young man replied, “I did that because my father was blind, and tonight I felt like for the first time in my life, my father could see me play. I love him so much and wanted to do my best for him, that’s how I did it.”
COMMENTARY
I have never shared that story without a tear. My eyes are watery even now. It affects me so strongly because I grew up in New England with my mother and sisters, while my dad lived in Florida. I also played many sports. In the small town I grew up in most of the parents were still married. I was one of the very few that had parents that were divorced. I remember one night, just before Father’s Day, we had a Father and Son night for all the sports teams. It was in front of the whole school, I was the only one on my team without a dad. My coach decided he would walk with me so I wouldn’t feel so out of place. I’ll never forget his kindness, but I will also never forget sneaking into the woods nearby shortly afterwards and crying. It hurt not to be able to do my best in front of my father.
The point of this story is one of the most important messages of the whole bible. God truly loves us, enough to send His one and only begotten son to die for all of our sins. He did this because He wants us to love Him. He could have chosen to create us with no free will, but who would want to be loved by someone that has to love you?
I don’t regret the sufferings I endured as a child or as a man. The Lord strengthens us through our sufferings. We also get to understand him more and can choose to become more like him as we are partakers of His sufferings. “But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” (1st Peter 4:13)
You see, many of the trials we go through, if we pay attention, are in our life because the Lord wants us to understand Him more. The more we know and understand Him the more we will love Him.
The young man in the story above was able to go above and beyond what he, or anyone else for that matter, thought he could do. He could do it because he was motivated by the greatest power in the universe, LOVE! I also believe that each one of us has the potential to soar to heights beyond what we can even dream of if we too are filled with and motivated by love.
Shall I not yield to that constraining power?
Shall I not say, O tide of love, flow in?
My God, Thy gentleness hath conquered me,
Life cannot be as it hath hither been.
APPLICATION
As Paul wrote, “Do everything in love.” (1Corinthians 16:14) Too many in the world today the word love is used loosely. Love has many poor definitions in today’s secular world.
Some of the most successful people in this world are ones that have at least one other person who truly loves and believes in them. You can never say you don’t have anyone who loves you because you always have the Lord. You have our heavenly Father, who just like the father in the parable of the prodigal son, is waiting for you to come home. Before you get there he will be running out to meet you, kiss you, hug you and welcome you back.
The bible says, “God is Love.” And with Love (God) on your side, who can be against you? We have so much true power in us, if we will but yield and obey.
Live each day as if you have a Father in heaven who is watching you. Not a mean God waiting for you to slip up. He's not like that at all!
Here is a good place to be reminded what true love is, not the love of this world:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." ~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
LOVE CONQUERS ALL!
J. Lawrence Finley
One day, the young man had missed a practice. The coach, being worried, gave him a call after practice. He told his coach that his father had died the night before. The coach tried to console the young man and asked if there was anything he could do for him. The boy replied, “There is one thing coach, I want to start in the game next week.” This threw the coach back, he knew that the game was the State Championship game, but he figured he would let him start the first play and then take him out.
A week later this young man found himself in the huddle of the opening drive with his team. He insisted adamantly that the quarterback give him the ball. The quarterback was not supposed to give him the ball, but saw the tenacity in his eyes and decided he would take the risk.
The young man, with no talent, grabbed that ball and ran 50 yards! The coach and team were ecstatic and decided to keep him in. The young man went on to run for 4 touchdowns! He broke records that had been unbeaten for years, and of course, they won the championship.
After the game the coach called the young man aside and told him that he had seen many players over the years move it up a notch or two during big games, but nothing like that. The coach asked him how he did it. To this the young man replied, “Well coach, you know how my father used to come to every practice and game?” The coach said, “Yes.” The young man went on to say, “There was something you might not have noticed, did you ever see how I would put my arm around his back as we walked out?” The coach, thinking back, said, “Yeah, I kind of remember that, what about it?” The young man replied, “I did that because my father was blind, and tonight I felt like for the first time in my life, my father could see me play. I love him so much and wanted to do my best for him, that’s how I did it.”
COMMENTARY
I have never shared that story without a tear. My eyes are watery even now. It affects me so strongly because I grew up in New England with my mother and sisters, while my dad lived in Florida. I also played many sports. In the small town I grew up in most of the parents were still married. I was one of the very few that had parents that were divorced. I remember one night, just before Father’s Day, we had a Father and Son night for all the sports teams. It was in front of the whole school, I was the only one on my team without a dad. My coach decided he would walk with me so I wouldn’t feel so out of place. I’ll never forget his kindness, but I will also never forget sneaking into the woods nearby shortly afterwards and crying. It hurt not to be able to do my best in front of my father.
The point of this story is one of the most important messages of the whole bible. God truly loves us, enough to send His one and only begotten son to die for all of our sins. He did this because He wants us to love Him. He could have chosen to create us with no free will, but who would want to be loved by someone that has to love you?
I don’t regret the sufferings I endured as a child or as a man. The Lord strengthens us through our sufferings. We also get to understand him more and can choose to become more like him as we are partakers of His sufferings. “But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” (1st Peter 4:13)
You see, many of the trials we go through, if we pay attention, are in our life because the Lord wants us to understand Him more. The more we know and understand Him the more we will love Him.
The young man in the story above was able to go above and beyond what he, or anyone else for that matter, thought he could do. He could do it because he was motivated by the greatest power in the universe, LOVE! I also believe that each one of us has the potential to soar to heights beyond what we can even dream of if we too are filled with and motivated by love.
Shall I not yield to that constraining power?
Shall I not say, O tide of love, flow in?
My God, Thy gentleness hath conquered me,
Life cannot be as it hath hither been.
APPLICATION
As Paul wrote, “Do everything in love.” (1Corinthians 16:14) Too many in the world today the word love is used loosely. Love has many poor definitions in today’s secular world.
Some of the most successful people in this world are ones that have at least one other person who truly loves and believes in them. You can never say you don’t have anyone who loves you because you always have the Lord. You have our heavenly Father, who just like the father in the parable of the prodigal son, is waiting for you to come home. Before you get there he will be running out to meet you, kiss you, hug you and welcome you back.
The bible says, “God is Love.” And with Love (God) on your side, who can be against you? We have so much true power in us, if we will but yield and obey.
Live each day as if you have a Father in heaven who is watching you. Not a mean God waiting for you to slip up. He's not like that at all!
Here is a good place to be reminded what true love is, not the love of this world:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." ~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
LOVE CONQUERS ALL!
J. Lawrence Finley
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