Tebow, Paul, Me and Y'all or It's The Same Playing Field

BELIEVE!

Tim Tebow did not shine the first three and a half quarters of the Bronco/Dolphin game last week.
It was pretty ugly.
I sat and watched, play after play.
Nothing went right.
The ball was thrown either too far, too short, too high....

It did not look good.

I've been a Tebow fan since his Florida days.
I feel like he's one of my kids, so watching was a painful experience.


Then, it happened. Fourth quarter...four minutes, Demarius Thomas goes in for a touchdown.
Score: 15-7.
The Broncos were on the board.
Whew. 'So glad they scored.
What more could I ask for with so little time on the clock.
Then, with seventeen seconds left in the game, Daniel Fells goes in for a touchdown, Tebow makes the two point conversion.
Score: 15-15!
Overtime!
Who would have thought.
I know Miami was sure it was over for Tebow and the Broncos.

I was ecstatic!
What a turnaround!
With seven minutes left in overtime, Prater kicks a field goal (he had missed two shorter field goals earlier in th game) - and he makes it.
Broncos win! Score: 18-15.

I'm still reeling at what reporters have called, 'a near miracle'.
The boys in blue and orange kept on believing.
And it paid off! First win at Sun Life Stadium for the Broncos against the Dolphins in franchise history!


Sometimes life is like that Bronco game.
There have been times I've made mistakes and heard the jeers from the opposing side.
"You're no good...you'll never amount to anything...you really blew it this time..."
There have been times when I've tried so hard, gotten so prepared, only to have setback after setback...things falling apart before my eyes.
I've wondered, "Should I be here?" "Did I make a mistake?"
Everything goes wrong. It looks like I don't know what I'm doing.


The Broncos didn't look like they had anything together on Sunday.
But, in the end, it all came together.

How often have I seen that.
God comes through.
Doors open, things change, the sun shines again.

Tim Tebow knew things weren't going well, but he kept his head.
He didn't give up, back down, or get discouraged.
He and the guys in the huddle encouraged each other.
And it worked.

The apostle Paul knew all about setbacks.
Like a quarterback, Paul knew what it was to be cheered on. He also knew what it was like to be booed and jeered.
The crowd turned on him... wanting to kill  him.
Yet, Paul didn't give up.
He kept on believing.
He wrote to Timothy, "Fight the good fight of faith."
In Philippians Paul wrote, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do. Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Sometimes it may seem I'm trailing in the fourth quarter.
But I know that I know, my Father will see me through.
The score will change.
I am victorious in Christ.
I press on.

You've got mail!

I just looked through my blog posts. Has it really been three months since I've spoken to you?
'Guess so.
I have written several blogs.
I just didn't post them....wow.
I am so sorry. 

I thought of days when people actually wrote letters to keep in touch...sometimes I'd write a letter and forget to mail it. Or, I'd put it down somewhere and get busy, only to find it a month later.

I had a penpal in New York.
Debbie. We both attended parochial schools.
Our teachers were friends, and they thought it would be fun for Colorado kids and New York kids to correspond.
Debbie and I wrote to each other from third grade till we went to college.
We wrote about our families, school and our activities.
When we got older, we told each other our problems, and things we were going through.
We exchanged pictures and sent each other gifts.
If too much time lapsed between letters, one of us would send another letter..."what's wrong?"
We were best friends from a distance.
We never met, but we kept in touch.
Writing was the only way we stayed connected.

I'm not sure who stopped writing first.
Maybe we wrote, but just didn't mail the letters.
I guess we both got busy, got sidetracked. Life took its course, and we didn't take the time anymore.
I don't know where she is...who she married, how many children she has.
Now, it's been thirty some years.
We lost our connection...consequently, that friendship is now a memory.

Letters.
Communication.
Connection.

I know, I know. We have cell phones, tweeting, texting, emails, facebook, blogging. We can communicate with friends in so many ways these days, and I do (except for tweeting, and I haven't learned to chirp yet..maybe one day).

Whatever means of communication we choose, it is important to stay connected.
Friends are important.
Patsy Clairmont said it at Women of Faith, recently. "We need each other. We need to be there for each other - to say, I'll walk with you on your journey."

We are on this journey together.

Let's stay connected!
That could mean email...text mail...
A few weeks ago, I actually got a real letter in the mail from a friend in Texas...in an envelope with a stamp!
What a treat.

Perhaps you have some stationery (you know, that pretty paper, with matching envelopes).
Maybe you'd like to surprise a friend and write a letter!
Ok, how about a phone call, an email or facebook message, a text message, a tweet ... or a blog!

Today, I'm reconnecting with all my friends here in blogosphere!
I'm glad to say, "You've got mail."


Thought for the day:
I really need to send my mail.