Jeremiah 17:14

Philippians 2:5-11

As I write this entry, it is late Sunday afternoon following the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. It has been a fulfilling weekend of seeing family and friends we don’t get to see every day, and celebrating my son, Rylie’s, second birthday. But over the course of the weekend, there also has been no shortage of sporting events to watch on TV. I’ve seen some great NCAA football and basketball games, as well as some NFL football. As a fan and also a coach, I know the importance of preparing your team for every game, and keeping the team fired up and focused on making the right plays to win the game. 

I don’t know that I would ever make a great motivational speaker because I’m not a great orator, and for the most part, I don’t put too much stock in having great accolades. I guess I’m just too humble. On a side note, one of my favorite speeches of all times is this one by Jim Valvano at the ESPY awards in 1993. I imagine him as being someone who could firing up a locker room of athletes easily. Enjoy. 

Of course there is much more to being a successful athlete than just the pre-game or halftime speech. There are years of training and countless hours of practice and being a student of the game. The best athletes put a lot of effort into these things. 

For those of us that aren’t elite athletes, we still have important jobs to do. Most would argue that the jobs we all do are way more important than the game that athletes get to play for a living, even though none of us get paid like it. Just like an athlete’s career, we have some good games (days) and some bad games (days). When we have an exceptionally productive day, we are proud of ourselves for what we have accomplished. When we have rough days, we get angry, aggravated, depressed, and frustrated. On those days, we try to figure out how to pick ourselves up and push through the muck. How often on those days, both the good and the bad, do we recognize the presence of God in our lives. 

Sometimes, or probably too often, we rely on ourselves and our own abilities. Instead, we should focus our energy on how God is working in our lives. Even if I make it into the National Teachers Hall of Fame (if there were such a thing), that accolade will never match the treasures I have to look forward to in heaven. Even if I fail epically as a teacher or parent, I know that there is much more to look forward to beyond this Earth. 

No matter what my accomplishments may be when it is all said and done, the thanks doesn’t go to me. No patting oneself on his or her back. Instead, all praise goes to God for what He has done for me in my life. As this Thanksgiving weekend ends and Advent begins, I am reminded of all of the ways that I have been blessed in my life and I give thanks to the One who makes it all possible.