"Some people did some things"

“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” Matthew 27:23

"Some people did some things"

This quote has made its way through the media outlets for the past few weeks and has stirred up many emotions from several different people. I do not know the lady who originally made this statement but, when I realized she was talking about the tragedy of 9/11, I was shocked by how casually she was speaking. She spoke as though it was an everyday event with little lasting consequences. I have thought about her statement for a few days and have been reminded of a few other events throughout history when some people did some things. Some people in Nazi Germany did some things and over 6 million members of the Jewish population were killed affecting the lives of millions of family members for generations. Millions of others lost their lives fighting in a World War to save countless others. Some people did some things in the past few years and their horrific actions have left a scar on the Roman Catholic faith that will possibly last forever. Their actions not only affected the victims of their crimes but have caused possibly millions of others to lose faith in their savior. At a point in the history of the United States, some people decided that one man was more deserving of the blessings and liberty our country has to offer because of the color of his skin and did some things. Those “things” caused generations of people to suffer through the racial prejudices that continue to cause a divide in our country. Toward the end of Jesus’ life on earth, He and Barabbas stood before Pilate as the Governor asked the people, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” The people, many who had witnessed Jesus’ miracles, did some things and all cried out, “Crucify Him”.

As Christians we are also called to, “Do some things.” We are called to go into the world and show our love of Jesus through our thoughts, words, and actions. We are called to pray for those in our lives, even the ones who we disagree with or consider an enemy. Even the people who, “do some things” we don’t agree with. These things we are called to do by our Heavenly Father will never make the news, we will never be known to the masses of people, and our name will not be known all over the world. However, the impact of the simple things we can do will last forever and will have eternal consequences for the many people we interact with each day. As a coach, I can pray daily for the young men who have been placed under my care. I can pray for their health as they play a crazy game but, more importantly, I can pray for their eternal salvation. I can pray for their lives to be forever changed by the saving grace of our Heavenly Father. No one will ever know the words I speak on behalf of these young men, but God is faithful to answer my prayers.

I believe God is calling all believers to also do some things. Not the kind of things that make the news or will be remembered throughout history, but the kind of things that will change a person’s life for eternity.


Let’s do some-thing!

Chad

"Standing in the fire but never feeling the heat"

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

James 1:2

The past year of my life has been full of many first time experiences. After taking a position as a head football coach my life suddenly turned upside down with hiring a staff, meeting a new team, being presented with everyone’s list of problems, not knowing how to fix many of them, and several others I cannot list. It has been quite an experience so far and I am even more thankful for the many men I have worked for in the coaching profession who taught me by their example. Each day has brought it’s individual problems, needs, and concerns. Along with taking on the responsibility of being the head coach of a new team, my wife and I decided it would be a good time to begin the renovation of and the addition to a new house. We have spent the past year in a temporary house with our dresser in the dining room, boxes of items for the new house scattered throughout, and clothes jammed into closets and piled on spare beds. My wife has done an amazing job of coordinating the construction and making the difficult decisions about the house, all while I was away at work. Needless to say we are ready to finally settle into our new home in a few weeks and get our lives back in order. At least the amount of order a coaching family can expect. It has been a year of having to constantly focus on several issues at once and make the correct decision about each. We also continue to remind each other of how blessed we are to have lives that are filled with young people, new friends, and new and old challenges. We are also blessed to get to go through all this excitement together.

I was in church yesterday and I heard someone say, “Standing in the fire but never feeling the heat”. When I heard these words I thought about the past year my wife and I have spent together. A year full of blessings mixed in with challenges that forced us to step outside of our comfort zone. A year full of days filled with emotional ups and downs only to be reminded of our Heavenly Father who is ever present through the ups and the downs.

I know in my life, and I am sure in yours also, we become so discouraged by the flames that we forget our Heavenly Father is always walking before us, protecting us from the heat. After all, the flames of a fire are beautiful, when you are a safe distance away, but the heat is what pushes us away and keeps us from going further.

My prayer today was for God to give me the courage to not run from the flames and the faith to trust him to protect me from the heat.

Chad