Two Minute Warning
This time of year is bittersweet for me. The wonderful Christmas season is long past, and spring is still too far away to suit me.
Then, to top it all off, it marks the end of the NFL football season.
We are and have always been a "football family." Growing up on the farm, I was a tomboy. The one and only broken bone I have ever had came from a backyard football game at a friend's house. All three of our sons played high school football. We used to tease our daughter-in-laws that loving football was a requirement before they could marry one of our sons.
As a result, at least four "child-size" footballs are in the toy box for our grandchildren to play with.
Sunday afternoons and evenings are carefully guarded in our household. It is reserved for family time. First, we gather around a late afternoon dinner table of traditional roast beef with all the fixings. Then, the tv comes on, and everyone chooses their seat in the living room for the afternoon game.
The time between the afternoon game and the Sunday night game is long enough for another Sunday night tradition of popcorn and homemade chocolate malts.
On the surface, this sounds relatively shallow in meaning. But, family time to "unplug" from the weekly routine is priceless in our home.
"Who are you, lord?" Saul asked. And the voice replied, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." Acts 9:5-6
The verse above, written by the apostle Paul, gives us two of the most important questions we, as Jesus' followers, could ever ask;
"Who are you, Lord?" and "What do you want me to do?"
I recently finished reading a book featuring the stories of people with "near-death experiences." These people have died, claimed to have left their bodies, visited heaven, and then returned to tell about it.
This blog is not to expand nor debate those experiences. However, I did find a Biblical truth that each person interviewed in this book shared.
"Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God." Rm 14:12
Every person at the end of our lives will stand before Jesus, our Savior, and watch a personal life review. As every detail of our life passes before our eyes, the question will be asked, "What did you do with the life I gave you?"
I have no words to describe the effect that question has had on me over the last few weeks.
I know I have a reverential fear of God like never before. So I have determined that I am laying down all my "if only" regrets, wishes, and excuses, and I'm replacing them with "What if?" Possibilities.
" The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." 1 Corinthians 10:13
I am at the stage of my life our society calls "middle-aged." Once alive and bursting at the seams, our home with rambunctious teenage boys, their friends, and four dogs has passed.
Now, it's just my husband, I, and one old, fat black Labrador. My thinking has been to slow down, settle in, garden a little…and live happily ever after…..
That was until I heard the question, "What have you done with the life I have given you?" I got down on my knees and said, "Lord, I can not bear to see your face and see that I missed my assignment. Whatever you want me to do or go, I will. Please, just show me."
In no time at all, the answer came...
There was a time in my life when I felt as though I had no purpose, let alone that I could be "gifted." I always used the excuse, "Lord, all I know how to do is dig in the dirt." Looking back, I can see what once appeared as a valid excuse was nothing more than a cop-out. All gifts come from God our Creator. They are not for our personal enjoyment only. They are first and foremost to advance the Kingdom.
Those of us who are Jesus' followers know that the olive tree is referenced throughout the Bible.
The common olive (Olea European) is prolific in the Holy Land, from the flavor of the region's cuisine to adorning its gardens. But I discovered something fascinating. The time from planting the tree to the time the tree begins to produce is sixteen to eighteen years!
What a fantastic picture of the fulfillment of God's timing and plan. What a resounding example of hope from God's creation to us!
We may hunger for the fruit of the tree we have planted, but we must first invest time to nurture it, let it grow, and set down roots before we ever see a harvest.
In football, there is a time at the end of the game called "The two-minute warning." As the name implies, the clock shows that only two minutes remain in the game. It is the "Do or die" moment. Time is running out. In the case of the playoffs or the championship, it's simply, "Win or go home."
What is your game plan, my friends? Do you think it's too late? Is your mind shouting, "You're too old, too sick, too uneducated, too unqualified?" Are you simply too afraid?
If that is true…then why are you still here? Why aren't you home with Jesus if God is genuinely done with you?
Are you confident you're ready to meet the Savior and watch that life review?
The two-minute warning buzzer may have sounded. But, as all football fans know, there is more than enough time to pull off the win.
We have an all-star coach and an unstoppable, unbeatable, un-sackable quarterback. His name is Jesus Christ.
His jersey number is #1. He is the First, the Last, the One who has always been and always will be.
He can't lose, and neither can you……unless you choose to.