The Replacements

One of my favorite movies is The Replacements.  As a sports fanatic, anytime that it is on television I find myself watching it.  The story is about a professional football team whose players go on strike and the coach is left finding a “replacement” team to field for the remainder of the season going into the playoffs.  They recruit prisoners, a mute man, a soccer player, a clumsy wide-receiver, and a washed-up has-been known for choking on the big plays as quarterback.  Needless to say, the odds seem stacked against them.

We watch the team practice and wonder how they will score points, let alone win a game.  But, the coach doesn’t give up on his replacements, and we see a team come together and begin to believe in themselves.  Through both comedy and trials, the replacements put points on the board and win enough games to take the team to the playoffs.  Two key lines in the movie come from the head coach.  The first, when asked what his team will need to win, “It takes heart.”  The second, when his team is down with one last play to call, he asks who wants the ball, and when the quarterback nods, he says, “Winners always do.” 

Just like this team of so-called failures, we have a Coach that doesn’t give up on us.  We are His replacements here on earth.  No matter what prison we come from or how many times we have failed in the past, whatever we are known for, He still has plays in mind for our future.  He doesn’t see the passes we have undershot, the receptions we have bobbled, or the field goals that fell short. Each new play is an opportunity to move on from the last.  And, even if yards were lost on the last play, there’s another down to regain them and continue moving ahead. 

In our game of life, our Coach has already won the Super Bowl.  Therefore, as part of His team, we should no longer feel like we are only on defense.  Defending our faith.  Defending against the enemy.  How many times do we hear these terms?  Because our faith is in the absolute Truth, there is nothing that can question it.  Since our enemy has already been defeated, there is no need to keep swinging and trying to block him all of the time.  No!  We have been called to take heart and press on in offense, receiving the plays from our Coach to put up more points for our team.  So, the next time He asks of you, will you take the ball?  Remember, winners always do.

Chicken Sandwiches

It is chicken salad sandwich season and the other day I found myself a victim of advertising.  After the announcement that this was available for a limited time only, I found myself with a craving that could only be satisfied with a trip to the Food Court on my lunch hour.

As I made my way through the line with a conversation consisting only of, “6 inch, honey oat, no cheese,” I took notice of the people around me.  There was a woman ahead of me with her child, “Chicken and bacon with light lettuce” and an older man behind me, “Grilled chicken and cheese.”  One by one we made our ways down the line without words, keeping a comfortable distance, yet remaining close enough as if to silently say, “I don’t have all day here, so keep on moving.”  I then heard a voice coming from inside me.  “Buy the man’s sandwich.”  And that’s when the order and the routine of the line stopped.

As I was handed my chips and diet soda and was told my total, I advised the cashier as I gestured to the man, “Put his on there, too.”  She looked at me as if I had made a foreign request.  The man?  He had to pause a moment to process what was said and then let out an adamant, “NO! You can’t do that!  You don’t have to do that!” to which I agreed, “Yes, I know.  But I would like to.”  By now, this disruption had caught the attention of the sandwich maker who stepped over to ask what was wrong.  And at that question, sadness filled my soul.

What was wrong?  A kind gesture today is so uncommon that when it does happen, it now takes someone aback.  The workers responses indicated this hasn’t happened before and they did not know what to do.  The man’s reactions of “why me?” and “you can’t do that!” showed that not only are acts of kindness rarely offered anymore, but also that we have become a culture that no longer knows how to accept the thoughtfulness of a stranger.  Is it a fear that there are strings attached?  Is it a feeling of unworthiness?  Is it pride that no one needs to do anything for us because we can provide for ourselves?  Whatever the reason, it is a sad realization of a life we are falling into instead of raising others out above.

But, we can change this routine.  It doesn’t take much effort to recognize someone else, and it doesn’t have to be a monetary gift.  Offer a compliment.  Greet a stranger with a nametag by name, ask how they are, and listen intently.  Voice your appreciation.  Show concern.  Hope.  Joy.  The world is hungry for a moment with Him that comes without strings to those who are unworthy – and we can reach them one chicken sandwich at a time.        

The Paperclip

I had just bought a cross necklace.  It sparkled and shined – long, black, and jeweled – it would match anything.  I wore it out for the first time a short while ago, and throughout the course of the evening, I must have forgotten I was wearing it.

In the midst of all of the fun I thought I was having, I felt a snap and something fall from my neck.  When I recognized what it was, I felt ashamed.  How could I have fallen back into this behavior?  How did I so easily break from being so steadfast?  What about my witness, my character?  Shattered.  I gathered up the broken necklace, placed it in my purse, and have carried the baggage around with me since. 

Today, I took that necklace out.  As I looked at it, fighting back the tears of disappointment in myself, I thought about how badly I wanted to wear it again.  I played around with it to see if there was something I could do to fix it.  The clasp was completely missing.  I could not open the small rings with my own strength to link them back together.  There was nothing I was going to be able to do on my own to repair its brokenness.  I needed something else to link the one broken end to the other side. 

That’s when I saw the paperclip.  Perfect!  Looping one ring into one side of the paperclip and the other ring to the other end, I now have the two sides connected once more.  How symbolic this representation!  Just as this paperclip restores my necklace from broken to whole again, so does the Lord restore me.  He is the connecting piece that links my brokenness to God’s righteousness. 

Now, each time I look at this necklace, I will see that paperclip and remember that without Jesus, I am not whole.  He has forgiven me and restored me and I should not take this restoration lightly.  When I wear it again, it will not be forgotten – I am His witness to the world around me.  Though the people I meet will not see the paperclip behind my neck, because of it, they will get to see the beauty of the jewels.  Just like that paperclip, people won't see Jesus with their eyes, but they ought to see Him through my life -- a shining light restored to reflect the sparkles of the cross. 

Antique Cars

As a kid, I loved amusement parks.  Luckily for me, I grew up about fifteen minutes from the best amusement park in the world – Cedar Point.    I never met a rollercoaster I didn’t like – sit down, stand up, let your feet dangle, forwards, backwards – I was up for the challenge.  I craved the nervous excitement of climbing that first hill while listening to the “clink, clink, clink” as it sluggishly made its way up to the top.  And of course, I always waited the extra time to sit in the very front row.  I wanted to feel the wind in my face.  I wanted the unobstructed view of the drop that was nearing, the twist that was coming, to see when my world would be turned upside down. 

There was only one ride I didn’t like, the Antique Cars.  The Antique Cars had a top speed of about 5mph.  The only motivation to even ride the Antique Cars was that I wasn’t old enough to drive a real car and I was allowed to sit behind the wheel in one and steer.  The reason? There was an iron bar that went around the whole track centered between the left and right wheels.  I could never go off course.  I couldn’t get reckless.  There was no shifting gears, no reverse.  I could perhaps bump the car ahead of me for excitement, but, at 5mph, that never seemed worthy of being thrown out of the park.  So, I resisted.  I never had to choose between the Antique Cars and the rollercoaster, a day at the park was long enough to do both.  But, if I ever would have had to choose, the rollercoaster would have won, hands down, no questions asked. 

As adults, we can either choose go through life like the rollercoaster or the Antique Cars, but not both.  Yet, the real rollercoaster is not like my childhood memory at all – if we choose to simply ride along its course, we learn we can no longer see when the drop is nearing or when the twists are coming.  We can’t prepare our stomachs to be turned upside down or be pulled backwards.  We scream at the unexpected or we close our eyes and miss part of the journey.   Even when we’re up, we realize we don’t enjoy the ride anymore because of the fear that another fall is just ahead. 

But, oh, when we ride along with the Antique Car!  It’s just as steady as always.  It’s centered and moving forward; it doesn’t loop around in circles of ground it has already covered before.  We find comfort that we are not really steering at all as we sit behind the wheel; it’s in control guiding us along the rail.  The pace might seem slow at times, even boring to onlookers, but we know this is just so we can take the time to notice the little things along the way.  There may be dark tunnels on the path, but we know we’re going to come out, for we can see the light on the other side.  We can trust we will safely get where we’re going; we can have no fear.  So, now, when asked my choice, I will always select the Antique Car.  Which will you choose?

Reality TV

They are classic story lines seen all over television sitcoms.  A younger sibling "borrows" her elders favorite white sweater without asking and inevitably returns with an unmistakable stain.  A new teenage driver takes mom's car for a spin around the block while his parents are out and comes back with a scratch, a dent, or a smash - if he comes back with a car at all.

These stories often play out the same plotlines: The guilty party tries to hide what has been done, what has been dones eventually is uncovered, anger arises, and the guilty party is punished.  Never do we see the sibling say, "Oh, yeah, that was mine.  I paid a lot for it, but, hey, it's okay, here, I have another one."  Never do the parents come home and say, "That's okay, son.  Tell ya what, let's go to the dealer in the morning and buy you a new one!"  Why, such reactions would be absurd!  No, we need justice!  We need discipline!

How many times as the bodies of Christ do we come back home with a stain on the white garment of His?  How many joy rides have we taken to return scratched, dented, or near-demolished?  We may try to hide it, but just like that sister and parent, He knows our stains and our scratches, our dents and dings - they are all uncovered.  We utter "I'm sorry" as we brace ourselves for the coming anger, at times cowering in guilt and shame.  Yet, the anger doesn't come.  No "How could you?" or "I can't believe you!" No "You're going to pay for this!" or "You're grounded for a month!"  Instead, when the repentant heart comes home, Jesus says, "I forgive you sister.  Here is a new white robe."  When the humbled soul returns, the Father's compassions are new in the morning - a fresh set of keys to a new and improved model, better than the last.

Being so accustomed to the familiar plotlines, we don't know how to react - this doesn't fit with the justice and discipline our human nature understands. We don't know how to accept it.  So, instead, we continue to wear our stained robes for awhile, hanging our heads in public and sulking.  We drive around with a cracked windshield, dent in the door, and a missing side mirror.  "Everyone knows I'm a mess.  Everyone knows I have crashed..."  We ground ourselves for a period of time to try to make up for our mistakes.  This is what makes sense to us.

Friends, it's time to break away from the sitcom storyline and embrace reality TV!  This is True Life.  The Lord forgives us our stains and our dents and our outright crashes.  He doesn't forgive so that we can continue punishing ourselves.  Listen to The Voice of your Big Brother.  No!  You aren't the Biggest Loser.  Put on that new white robe, grab those keys, put the car in drive again, and continue on in His Amazing gRace!

I Saw God Today

I've occasionally wondered if those strange people I often meet could be God himself.  You know those moments when you pass someone on the side of the street that hold up a sign "Homeless and Hungry," that person broken down on the highway that looks in desperate need of help, that random person that comes up to you and speaks to you out of the blue about everything going on in their life at that moment, or how about those strangers that somehow, someway, speak to you as if they have a message just for you and where you are in your life at that moment - could that be Him just seeing how I will react with what He's shown me so far? 

I had this experience the other day in a Christian bookstore.  While trying to find a book titled "Read Me," a stranger said "Here, I recommend this one."  And while I wasn't in the mood to be interrupted, oh the irony, I entertained him.  There was something in his eyes.  And as he spoke to me, through this body of a 60-something blue collar worker after a hard day's work, he told me of God's love for me, how God has a great future for me, how God forgives me of gratifying my flesh, that God can fill me, that if I seek Him fully, He will fill me, and that I should not limit the Unlimited.  As I stared in those old blue eyes, I did for a moment wonder if I was staring into the eyes of the Lord.  How did this stranger know my struggles?  How did he tell me things as if He has seen my life recently?  As tears filled my eyes and we shared a hug and said goodbye, and I couldn't help but say to myself, "I saw God today."

Now, as I reflect on it, I did see God.  No, that stranger probably wasn't God, but as Christians, we are the hands and feet of the Lord.  The Lord should so fill us, that when strangers meet us, they say "I saw God today."  We should be vessels for the Lord to work through us to send His message to others.  We should desire to be so filled of the Lord that the fullness overflows wherever we go and others can't help but take notice.  I challenge myself and you, let's live so others see God today.