The World Needs Benchwarmers

A few weeks ago I went to a conference, well it wasn't so much a conference (where you learn new tools) as much as it was an inspirational event (go get 'em team). It was a good event, it just wasn't quite what I expected. I did enjoy the time, I was inspired. A few of the teachers/pastors had some great new insights that I was happy to hear, but one of them really ticked me off.

So this guy is rattling through his Bible quoting this scripture and that scripture and I felt like either he was ADHD or I was becoming ADHD at the frenetic pace that he was traveling back and forth in his Bible. Then, he spoke the sentence that really got under my skin ... he said, "you know, I never understood why there were guys who played sports in high school and practiced with the team and never played in the game. They were happy to sit on the bench ... why did they do that? Why didn't they just quit."

UGH! What a cocky thing to say. O.K. In this character's defense his point was "as Christians we shouldn't just sit on the bench - we need to get out the do it" But I think he chose a REALLY bad analogy. It didn't take long for me to shoot his analogy to pieces ... then in conversation with others they ripped it apart further.

Now, I'm not telling you this to say "this guy is dumb" but to make a point. The world needs benchwarmers.

In high school I was on the football team. I never started a Varsity game, in fact I rarely played in a game. But I think I made valuable contributions to the team. In the cold winter weather I kept the ponchos of the starters warm while they were on the field so they were pre-warmed when they came off the field. During practice, I was the guy willing to stand there with a blocking pad so they had someone to block. When one of the starters got injured, guys like me were there to carry them off the field ... and to take their place when they couldn't play. I'd say the guys on the bench did a lot for the good of the team.

I realize that this guy is trying to make a point ... but it's not a good point. There are plenty of people who were benchwarmers through much of their career who then went on to be great coaches. Maybe they didn't have the greatest talent but they could inspire others to achieve their potential.

I guess my point in all of this is simply that you never quite know how God is going to use you or in what ways God will prepare you for the ministry you are called to. For some of us, being part of the team in high school taught us valuable lessons for the life we are now living. So don't tell me that the world doesn't need benchwarmers otherwise you've just invalidated my entire life.

I'm thinking so hard my head hurts

O.K. My head doesn't really hurt, but it should. I've been doing a lot of thinking today and I don't think I'll get to stop thinking tomorrow. So, I guess that's a good thing, if we stop thinking I think we stop living, but I'm not entirely sure about that. But let me let you into a few of my recent thoughts.

The recent Presidential election was quite a treat. For the first time since my first time voting 16 years ago I felt like my vote really mattered and that the experience was actually kind of fun. It was the first time I had to duck the campaigners on the way in ... I don't care what they wanted to tell me, I made my decisions, I don't want to hear anymore (anyone else glad there are no more political commercials on television?). I especially enjoyed two guys who were standing just in front of me in line. They were most definitely college students voting for the first time ... they had that "just rolled out of bed look" to them (why they didn't wait until later in the day, I won't ever know). Still, they made it a point to go and vote. This leads to the fact that for the first time I wasn't the youngest person voting ... by a long shot. There were tons of young people (listen to me, am I someone's grandpa?) in line voting while I was there.

I was pleased with McCain's concession speech and Obama's acceptance speech. Yeah, it's politics, but they both played nice. I appreciated Obama's honesty that it might take a year, it might take all term. And well, it must have been alright, Oprah was there.

On to other thoughts ... What does God have in mind now? I mean, God's hand is in this whole thing, so what's next God? I guess we all have to listen. I'm tired of listening, but I've got a lifetime of it ahead of me so I might as well get used to it. Actually, I do plenty of speaking too ... I get to talk to too many people and somehow they are all convinced I know what I'm talking about. I guess I did something right.

Why is junkfood so bad for us? We all love to eat it and it tastes good so why does it make us fat? I would love to live on nacho cheese sauce ... there's just something disgustingly good about it. As a second course I'll take chocolate in pretty much any form. I've rarely found chocolate I don't like ... now, that doesn't count things that are "artificially flavored" simply, that is not chocolate. Now that Halloween is behind us, I have been fighting the urge to eat every "leftover" candybar in our house. Slowly but surely they are getting eaten, thankfully not all by me. Equally, why is fast food so bad for us and so expensive? I remember being able to eat out for under $5 ... those days are gone unless one eats on the "value" menu and where's the fun in that? I know, I should bring my own lunch, but alas some days I am too lazy to pack one (I'm honest) and other days, nothing sounds good (that has nothing to do with the fact that we're still eating cold cuts that we froze after Olivia's baptism 2 months ago).

Why don't the Packers ever get television coverage in California? I'm tired of the 49ers and Raiders, I think everyone admits neither of these teams is worth watching. Can we please have some other options in the Bay Area? And no, I am not buying Sunday Ticket in order to see the games I want (not like I get to watch the "early" game anyway since I'm in worship during that time). And what's up with this football at 10am thing? Can we not have time-delay on the game for those of us that go to church in the morning? I know, it's called a VCR but that's no fun for me, I'd rather complain.

I'm pretty sure that what I've typed above isn't worth much. It's just the ramblings of a mind that has spent too much time thinking over the last few weeks. I think what I really need is to sit in front of a good Hockey game with a nice glass of Jack Daniel's Single Barrel - remember Jack learned to distill from a Lutheran pastor, so it's part of my Lutheran heritage to drink JD.