I’ll say with all the love in my heart that I can muster: I am unabashedly, undeniably a believer in Jesus Christ! I hope that doesn’t turn you off so much that you leave without reading the rest of this post… cuz I have something important to say. Please stick with me.
I once heard a coach who was part of FCA share a “picture story” about how important all 3 phases of our lives (and the lives of our players) are to being able to face the “storms of life” which we will undoubtedly face in our lives. He used a 3-legged stool and a cinder block to make his point!
He talked about how we in the “sports culture” of our country are really focused on our PHYSICAL fitness. We lift weights. We run. We eat healthy. All to build strong bodies so we can succeed in life. He took one of the legs of the stool and screwed it into the bottom of the stool. It had PHYSICAL lettered down it. He then tried to place the cinder block on top of the 1-legged stool. “When the pressures of life come to bear, you can’t ‘hold up’ with just a strong body— no matter how physically fit you are. You need more.”
There is a segment of our culture that thinks if we get everyone “smart” and highly educated, we’re going to be better off. They press for higher education and higher standards in school. They include MENTAL HEALTH in this category too. If we are healthy mentally, we can overcome anything. Really? Substitute out the PHYSICAL leg of the stool, screw in the one with MENTAL on it and see what happens when you place the “stress of life” on the stool. Heck, screw the PHYSICAL leg back in so you have 2 legs now and see if that stool will stand when the pressure/load comes to bear. Ain’t happenin’!!!
We need that 3rd leg. I submit that the “3rd leg” is our SPIRITUAL life. The part that, I’m afraid, too many people ignore. Religion, in particular Christianity, is being relegated to the “outfield bullpen.” Too many people are being sold the bill of goods that our spiritual health is just not that important. I disagree!
Those of you who’ve read or heard reports on the Eagles leading up to the Super Bowl last night know that a LOT of their players talked about their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ… and how important that has been to their team unity. They’ve learned to be unselfish and have bonded like a lot of teams never do. I think it showed last night during the game both on the field and on the sideline. Even Head Coach Doug Pederson professed his faith in Jesus in his first post-game interview. That got me real excited!
It showed me that when we have all 3 legs of the “stool of life” firmly attached, we can withstand an incredible amount of pressure and come through the storm with peace in our heart and joy in our soul.
