Every 24… 9/19/2020
ACQUIRE as NEEDED (daily)
Happy Lord's Day! It's also NFL Sunday 2…
I liken days like this to training. Paul (the Bible one) wrote to Timothy, "All scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." I enjoy the sport we call football because it's designed differently than all other sports. In each of its three facets, offense, defense and special teams, each position is unique, functions together in real time and depends on the weakest link to make the biggest difference. Scheme and attention to detail make up for lack of talent and individual training brings up the mean.
Today, I spent a good portion of time running interference for two of my children. My extensive experience in performance has quickened my observation of my audience. While the eldest of my three sought to take out her anger and fear in hostile, verbal abuse, I practiced redirecting her attention by absorbing blows and with quick draw humor. She worked hard to get under my skin, while I commented on the extraordinary plays I watched in the NFL games on television. She ridiculed my parenthood and questioned my integrity and compassion. I practiced quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.
I watched the discipline of the Patriots defense against one of the most explosive offenses in the league during Sunday Night Football. I watched Russell Wilson capitalize and execute when his team would create openings in the skilled front line of Patriots tackles and ends. In the end, it's just a game in which many of us place exorbitant value. Maybe it reminds me of my own battles, or it inspires me to play my role. Maybe it looks like an illustration of the body and gives me hope that I can tame the tongue, take thoughts captive and cast my cares.
I know sports isn't for everyone but there's a good reason sports appeal to so many. We may not play life like a game to win or lose, but life's full of decisive moments in which we give in to distraction or we don't. Since we're not battling people, I mean, not really, we can only win or lose moments. Since we're not judged by our win-loss record, we practice each moment anew. Like in sports, clutch performance comes from keeping short accounts. Our odds of success may not be affected by our past success or failure, but it is assuredly affected by our focus. So, I train.
The NFL has apparently kept track of receiver's catches in first year with a new team and DeAndre Hopkins, in his first year with the Cardinals, has smashed the two week count for all time with 22. (Feels like a mic drop moment…)
[From bakeshere.com]
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