Let my Love of God Show.

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Saturday is college football around here.  I think we became converted when our oldest child started watching College Game Day.  Before him, we had our favorite teams and watched them, but then our child became interested and through some failure in parenting, he didn't develop the love for the OU Sooners or the BYU Cougars.  In fact he chose my nemesis, Texas Longhorns to be his favorite team.  This was hard medicine to take.  Did I not teach him right from wrong?  Nonetheless, this is who he cheered for and so to show support I watched some Texas games with him ( it went against everything I believed in, but my love for him was stronger.)   And I found out through watching that Texas had a couple of outstanding players, Colt McCoy in particular.  I was amazed each game when he made some incredible plays and won and interviewers at the end of the game would ask him how he made that great play or whatever question they wanted to ask and one of his first responses was always, "I give the glory to God." It impressed me then... and stays with me even now.  

Not many players still do that.  But on Saturday I watched the Ole Miss/ Alabama game.  I'm not proud of this, but almost always I cheer against Alabama.  One shouldn't go against someone, Jesus does teach us to love everyone. And honestly it's not that I'm against Alabama per se, it's just that they have felt the victory many times before, so I'm all for spreading the love around.  So Ole Miss had them pretty much where they wanted them most of the game, I felt pretty confident they would get the win.  Then Alabama started coming back, those guys just don't give up.  Part of me was glad.  I didn't like seeing them run over and their fans all in the dumps.  So Alabama in the last quarter pulled it back into a one touchdown game and they had the ball.  It was anyone's game and I love games that go down like that... well unless it is OU playing, then I hate such scenarios.  But since it was not my team, I was just an interested bystander seeing how the game would end.  And Ole Miss held on to their win and here came the interviews.  They go to the coach and ask about the last plays of the game.  He gives glory to God.  (What?  A coach gives God the praise and gratitude for how the game went.)  I have watched many football games and that has to be the first that comes to mind where I have seen that.  Many coaches are God fearing men, they just don't proclaim it unashamedly to the world in such manner.  Once more I was impressed.   

In three days, my son comes home.  He has been sharing the word of God with any soul who would stop to listen.  He has been gone two years, living mostly on Navajo reservations eating bowl after bowl of mutton stew, loving the people, and sharing with them unashamedly the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He isn't on a football field with a microphone proclaiming to millions of fans his love for God. But his contribution is no less grand.  He saved his own money about $10,000 to pay for the two year mission.  He studied, he prepared and he left behind schooling and his family and friends to go serve the Lord.  And he is not alone, thousands of young people make this decision every year to put their lives on hold and go and serve a mission for the Lord.  These young people impress me.

Though I may not be able to proclaim my love for the Lord on a football field, or  spend two years on a Navajo reservation, let me unashamedly do it in other ways.  Let me be kind in my words.  Let me be cheerful when I give,  Let me be forgiving when another offends.  Let my actions be love.  (Wait...even for Alabama?)   Alright, even for Alabama.  

Let it be obvious by the way I live, that I too... love the Lord.