Go the extra mile

 November 4, 2024 

And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Matthew 5:41 

The verse from Matthew’s gospel comes from a chapter that you will easily recognize.  This chapter from Matthew is titled, “The Sermon on the Mount” and Jesus is teaching the people how to respond to someone when you have been wronged.  The world tells us to take an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth when we have been treated unfairly.  That sounds good to a guy that has a pretty hefty amount of Eads temper in his blood!  But that is not the way Jesus taught and certainly not the way he reacted to the many people who mistreated him all the way to his death on the cross.  I think a lot of lessons can be learned from the verse from Matthew 5:41. 

First of all, a little history lesson from some of the boring reading that I do.  During the time of the Roman Empire they built a network of roads that covered over 50,000 miles.  These roads included bridges and every twenty miles there was a state owned inn for travelers to spend the night. These roads were constructed in such a way that many of them can still be found today.  They have lasted much longer than any of the roads built today with modern technology.  Along these roads there was a marker at each mile point. These stone markers would tell the traveler the distance to each town along the road he was traveling and directions to points of interest.  The old saying of, “All roads lead to Rome” was true because each mile marker included the distance the traveler had traveled away from Rome, the center of the Roman Empire.  The phrase, “Go the extra mile” comes from the Roman Empire.  It was a common phrase to mean helping someone more than they expected. We have probably all had someone go the extra mile for us and we have all probably gone many extra miles for others.  I wonder if Jesus used this phrase in his sermon because the people in the audience would know the meaning. 

The game of football requires you to go the extra mile if you want to experience success either as a player or a coach. Doing extra work as a player, staying away from distractions that can keep you from the game, and studying the game are all ways a player and coach can go the extra mile. The consuming nature of the job and a coach’s natural desire to do more is the part that is equally exhausting and what keeps you excited about the job. In our Christian walk, going the extra mile for someone in need is also a special time.  However, in the verse from Matthew 5:41 Jesus says, “If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles”.  I don’t think he is talking about helping someone who is grateful for the help and it creates a special moment for both of you.  Actually, in the time Jesus lived on the earth, the Romans had total control over the Jews.  A Roman soldier could make a Jew serve him.  He could make the Jew carry his load for a mile, but one mile only.  The Romans even made Simon of Cyrene carry Jesus’ cross to Calvary.  Jesus is telling the Jews to not only do the uncomfortable task demanded by the Roman soldier but to do double the amount.  He’s not talking about helping someone do something that is enjoyable and I am sure he is not talking about football!  He is talking about going the extra mile when it is difficult.  The days when the person you are going the extra mile for is ungrateful or treats you like you owe them the help.  Those people become more difficult to deal with as you go through life!  People become less grateful and believe they are somehow owed the help but we must remember that we do not work for them.  We work for a Savior who tells us to go the extra mile, but also promises the reward is at the end of that second mile. 

Coach Eads

He's Here, He's Perfect!

 April 9, 2023

 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.  Matthew 28:7

 He’s here! He’s perfect!

On April 9th of this year we will celebrate Easter and the resurrection of our Savior.  Three years ago on this date the Eads and Watson families were celebrating the birth of Watson Graham Eads just a few days before Easter Sunday.  This baby boy would be born during the Covid pandemic and our family was not able to be at the hospital to meet our first grandson.  We would all have to wait a few days for Watson and his parents to come home, but we would get to meet our new grandson on Easter Sunday.  As I woke up that Easter Sunday I was filled with emotion about the resurrection of my Lord and Savior and also about the excitement of meeting my grandson who had been born three long days earlier.  My thoughts immediately went to praying for and thanking God for the healthy little boy I would soon get to hold for the first time.  I began to look back at the pictures that had been sent to us from the hospital and was amazed at the love I had for a little guy who I had never met.  I also looked back to the text my son had sent to our family just moments after his son’s birth.  The text said, “He’s here!  He’s perfect”.  These were only four simple words but they had so much meaning on a special Easter Sunday.  When I met Watson Eads a few hours later I realized the text from my son had been exactly right.  His son and my grandson was perfect!

I keep a picture of my son’s text from that day to remind me of the special little boy that was born on April 9, 2020.  Most importantly, it reminds me of the Savior who was hung on a cross for me, was buried in a tomb, but rose again to sit at the right hand of His Father in Heaven.

This year, on April 9th, we will celebrate the third birthday of Watson Graham Eads who is just as perfect today as he was the day I met him for the first time.  We also get to be thankful that our Savior is risen and the tomb is empty.  On this Easter Sunday we can celebrate that our Lord and Savior is here and He is more than perfect!

Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day

Ephesians 6:2

“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise

I think the many years of coaching offensive linemen has taught me much about the job of a mother.  I may be the only person on the earth that could relate the job of a mother to the job of an offensive lineman, but maybe you will understand after you read this letter.  In a home with a mother and a father, the father is like the quarterback and the mother is like the offensive lineman.  Dad, much like the quarterback, is known by everyone and has the glamorous job.  Dads can come home from a day at work to cheers from his children at his sight, while mom is standing exhausted in the background.  Dad gets to sign the autographs while mom quietly goes about her thankless job of protecting the members of her family.  Fathers get to throw the ball in the yard with his son or hold a baby girl, while mom is busy making our homes comfortable and our lives possible.  Dads get the credit for raising a well behaved son or confident daughter while mom, much like an offensive lineman, has quietly upheld the standards of the home and made it possible for dad to be the hero.  

However, any good quarterback knows his security, health, and image are not possible without the thankless work of the offensive line.  The fans would never know his name and he would not last for a single minute of the game without the offensive linemen who make it possible.  I have often told offensive lineman, when teaching about protecting the quarterback, that their job is to keep the quarterback upright on his feet.  As the son to a wonderful mother I know I would have never learned how to be a father myself without her.  The expectations she had for me as a child and her commitment to my father held me to a high standard that prepared me for my life as a dad.  The beautiful lady who is the mother to my children has certainly protected me over the years and kept me upright.  Her tireless and unselfish work at my home made it possible for me to come in the door at my home to a hero’s welcome from my children.  

Today is Mother’s Day and I want to make sure I express these same feelings toward my own mother and the mother of my children and now to the mother of my grandson.  I hope you, whether you are blessed to see your mother on this day or only through a phone call, will let her know that her thankless work did not and does not go unnoticed.  Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms but especially to the three mothers in my life who have made everything I have today possible.  I love you very much!

Chad 

Be Still!

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.  Mark 4:39

I have to stop listening to the news because I get frustrated with the foolish ideas and thoughts that we hear from so many people.  There are so many topics that are twisted to fit what someone wants us to believe and the fake anger that we see about issues is getting out of control.  I keep having the thought that, as a society, we are going backwards.  I know I can sometimes seem like a negative person but I hope you will see my positivity about the world we live in today.  Not positive like, “I am positive these people are stupid”, but positive that God has always been in control and will continue to be until His Son returns for us.

As a country, many people of all colors and nationalities have worked to overcome the racial hatred that has existed in our world since the beginning of time.  Anyone who has those beliefs is simply ignorant.  It is certainly not my place to judge another, and I have plenty of areas of my life that need correcting.  But, I do not believe a person can have a relationship with the Creator of all life if he or she does not believe that He created all life.  It often seems like we are headed back to a time where, if you listen to the news, one man hates another because of the color of his skin, where he lives, or what he believes.  These beliefs are as equally wrong today as they were 100 years ago.  Why do we not see the ignorance in our own thoughts?  Have we become so educated, rich, or out of touch that we believe everything we think?  Or, have we become so ignorant, poor in character, or distanced from reality that we believe everything someone else thinks? 

Jamie and I have been at the beach for the last couple of days and it always reminds me that we are never in control.  Yesterday a storm came through the area and I was amazed at the size of the waves and the strength of the wind.  This morning I walked to the beach and was amazed at how calm the ocean was only a few hours later.  Most of all it reminds me that what seems out of control to us is being easily controlled by our Heavenly Father.  Not only did He create the mighty oceans of the world and all that lives within them, but He, with only a word, can calm the waves.  If He can control the wind and waves of something that can so easily destroy us, how much easier is it for Him to control my simple life.  The ocean reminds me that He is always in control of everything.  He already knows the good that He has blessed me with but He also knows the stormy days that may be ahead and is also preparing me for those.

I have to be reminded that He is in control and needs me to trust Him.  He knows that our world is and will continue to be filled with lost people with sinful beliefs.  The positive part that I want you to see is that He knew today would happen long before we existed.  He knew the storm would blow across the ocean last night and He knew the waters and wind would be calm this morning.  He needs me to trust Him regardless of the craziness I hear on the news. He has an amazing plan for you that will include many lost people who need to see Him through you.  He needs us all to remember that we are a vital part of His plan and to trust that He already knows the storms that are coming and the calm days that will follow.

We can rest in the assurance that He knew exactly what our world would be like today.  He knew who would be here, the issues we are facing, and that our world would still be full of lost people.  He also knew that we would all be here.  He knew we would have locker rooms full of young men who need a coach to care for and guide them.  He knew there would be classrooms full of small children who need a teacher who cares for them far beyond the daily lessons.  He knew there would be a community whose members often depend on a sport to add excitement to their days and guidance for their sons.  He also knew a simple “football family” would be in a position to influence that community far past the stadium and Friday nights.  He also knew there would be a head coach and his wife who want to have an influence far beyond a single season, but will certainly need His guidance.  

I have to remind myself, especially on those days when I have listened to far too much news, that He knew today was coming and, most importantly, knew that we would all be here.  The Creator of the world, who can calm the mighty oceans, also knows I am sitting at my desk writing a letter to all of you guys at this exact moment in time.

Love you guys!

Just sit in the boat

Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. Mark 4:1

As football teams get closer to the end of the regular season and closer to the play-off time of year, the distracting noises always increase.  There is talk of possible play-off scenarios, future opponents, and constant planning for events that may not even occur. The intensity of the game increases as does the trash talk from fans and the tempers of most coaches.  Region championships and paths to a state championship are on the line in each game. The players are hearing about how good they are from their friends and family and the opposing fans are always a little more obnoxious. According to the fans, the coaches have suddenly forgotten how to coach, the referees are always plotting against their team, and they know exactly the correct play that should have been called.  All of this comes together to create a lot of extra noise that can be easily distracting to the players.  

As a football coach, I have to block out the noise.  It could come in the form of a parent complaint, a player who is having an issue in his life, or outside worries that are on my mind.  There is a time to deal with the issues of life but it is not during practice and certainly not during a game. I want our players to understand this as well.  It is difficult for a young man to put away his worries for a time and totally concentrate on his job as a player. We have talked a lot in the past few days about blocking out the noise around our team as we prepare for a very noisy environment on game night.  

Our game on this coming Friday has several aspects that will cause this to be a noisy environment.  Our opponent, if they were to win, will be the champions of our region. For my team, a win will mean home field advantage for the play-offs.  We would also get to ruin our opponent’s chance to be the region champion. The crowd should be large, we will be the visiting team, and emotions will be very high for all involved.  In order for our team to be successful on Friday night, we must block out the noise. There could be “trash” talk from our opponent, their crowd will be geared up to yell their team to victory, and our very own fans will have many suggestions to help us win.  There will be a lot of noise! Several times during this week we have talked about blocking out the noise but I know it is easier to say than to actually do. I have told the team, in order to truly block out the noise and distractions, we must be completely absorbed in preparing ourselves and our teammates for competition.  If each player is totally devoted to helping his teammate prepare, each young man will be too busy to notice the noise. During the game, if each young man is excited and celebrating a teammates success, there will not be any time left to hear the noise.  

I believe as Christians we also have to block out the noise.  As we go through our days, there will be people who need help with a problem, people who need a kind word, and people with a complaint.  Each of these issues crosses our path for a reason and each takes a toll on us personally. I also believe God places us on this earth to be in the middle of all the noise but, He also knows we need a break from the noise.  In Mark 4:1, Jesus has been teaching the crowd and has gotten into a boat and is sitting offshore. During Jesus’ time on the earth, he lived his life very much like each of us, with many of the same emotions. I am sure he was sitting in the boat because he needed a break from the crowd.  He had been teaching and had a full day of hearing their problems. There were probably several in the crowd with a complaint or with suggestions of how he could be a better teacher. I am sure, while sitting in the boat, he was asking his Father for guidance. He probably asked for energy to help the ones with an illness and patience to deal with the many others.  He most likely asked for wisdom to allow his Father’s words to come from his mouth when he returned to the shore to teach. He may have even taken the time away to regain his composure and remember why he was teaching. He just needed to sit in the boat for a while. Probably, while Jesus was in the boat, there were probably many who yelled to him from the shore. Jesus needed to be in the boat to block the noise and concentrate on the will of his Father.

I don’t live close to a lake and I do not own a boat, but I need to “Sit in the boat” sometimes.  I need time to get away from the voices who are asking for help or registering a complaint. I need time to refocus so my words will be my Heavenly Fathers, and not my own.  I need to block the noise so I can remember why I coach.

Chad