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| ps from ps We will now take a 100+ day break from football and Buffalo Bills analogies and metaphors. So….. moving on to the Buffalo Sabres and hockey. “The next shift is the most important shift.” – Coach Lindy Ruff Coach Ruff has tried to instill in the team this year an important principle – bouncing right back when you get scored on. So, he’s pushed the team to understand that when the opposing team scores a goal, the VERY next shift is the most important shift to push hard, and score right back! Some games it works better than others, but last night, it was executed perfectly. Both times that the Boston Bruins scored on the Sabres, the very next shift our top line pushed harder and grabbed a goal back. It not only fired up the whole team to play harder, but two of those guys on the same line got hat tricks (three goals in one game). “The next shift is the most important shift.” – Jesus, to the disciples and us. Throughout the incredible journey that Jesus took with the disciples, he was teaching the same principle that Lindy is teaching on the ice – after someone gets a goal on you, your immediate response is most important. Whether it was the need for forgiveness…whether it was standing with the outcast…whether it was people drawing swords and cutting off ears…whether it was the crowd coming up hungry….whether it was the village turning them away….each and every time, Jesus taught them to use the principles he was teaching to come back right away with love, compassion, forgiveness and peace. And this was God’s principle from the beginning…in the garden…with those worshipping golden calves…and throughout all of salvation history, God was teaching us to respond to the hard stuff with the love stuff. To come back from being down on our luck, hurt and off track by recentering around the Coach’s message, the teammates on our lines and our options to put a goal on the board with grace, action and tangible hope. Today, you might feel like the other team just got a goal. You might be down, disappointed, disconnected or disillusioned. If so, I would encourage you to hear Jesus’ words that “the next shift is the most important shift.” How will you respond today? How will we recenter around God’s love and hope when it feels like we just went down a goal? Don’t forget you play on a team. You have line mates – church, family, friends that you can skate hard with. You’re not alone on the ice. And your incredible and increased effort will inspire them as well. Lord, thanks for reminding us that it’s important to keep going and respond with more love. Amen Still in One Peace, ps And also “pps from ps”: Happy 42nd Anny to my folks! |
January 29, 2025
