Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Celebrating too early...
It's hard to win a national championship when your best player is hurt. Ohio State's Ted Ginn, Jr. ran the opening kickoff back 93 yards for a touchdown in last night's national championship. The celebration in the end zone was incredible. I guess they really thought it was going to be that easy all night long. Ginn is a fantastic player, and that was it for him last night. He got hurt and couldn't play. Florida then beat Ohio State in every way. It was a rout. So how did Ted Ginn, Jr. get hurt? He was injured during the celebration of his opening kickoff return.
I wonder if we ever celebrate the beginning as if it were the end? I think the celebration of an early touchdown was natural and exciting. But there were still 59 minutes of football to play. We celebrate the birth of babies, and we ought to...but that's a beginning. The game is just starting. I wonder if weddings and honeymooms are a little like that. We celebrate the beginning, but I think I like celebrating the end more. For instance, Marsha and I now celebrate a lifetime of triumph, struggle, laughter, tears, and faith. We did not have a clue what was ahead of us. But now we can celebrate what we have accomplished. We get to celebrate our kids and our grandkids. And we are still only in the third quarter. So I am not going to celebrate as if it is over. It's not. I do think the best is yet to be.
And what about baptism? Do we sometimes celebrate baptism as if the game is now over? It's not... it is just beginning. I really get a sense sometimes that we are relieved that that step is over. We can quit worrying about them, not have to work as hard with them, and celebrate the culmination of our efforts. And then we wonder why some of our new converts end up sitting out the rest of the game. Yes we need to celebrate new births. We just need to remember the game has just started.
I love life. I live most of my life in celebration. I really am happy and I laugh and love lots. But I always remember that the game isn't finished. Someday I will celebrate with trumpets and the party will never end. I'll be a champion forever.
I wonder if we ever celebrate the beginning as if it were the end? I think the celebration of an early touchdown was natural and exciting. But there were still 59 minutes of football to play. We celebrate the birth of babies, and we ought to...but that's a beginning. The game is just starting. I wonder if weddings and honeymooms are a little like that. We celebrate the beginning, but I think I like celebrating the end more. For instance, Marsha and I now celebrate a lifetime of triumph, struggle, laughter, tears, and faith. We did not have a clue what was ahead of us. But now we can celebrate what we have accomplished. We get to celebrate our kids and our grandkids. And we are still only in the third quarter. So I am not going to celebrate as if it is over. It's not. I do think the best is yet to be.
And what about baptism? Do we sometimes celebrate baptism as if the game is now over? It's not... it is just beginning. I really get a sense sometimes that we are relieved that that step is over. We can quit worrying about them, not have to work as hard with them, and celebrate the culmination of our efforts. And then we wonder why some of our new converts end up sitting out the rest of the game. Yes we need to celebrate new births. We just need to remember the game has just started.
I love life. I live most of my life in celebration. I really am happy and I laugh and love lots. But I always remember that the game isn't finished. Someday I will celebrate with trumpets and the party will never end. I'll be a champion forever.
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Good point.
I've compared baptism to a marriage ceremony; too many times we spend too much time talking to people about the ceremony and not enough about the marriage itself (that is, our Christian walk).
Grace and peace,
Tim
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I've compared baptism to a marriage ceremony; too many times we spend too much time talking to people about the ceremony and not enough about the marriage itself (that is, our Christian walk).
Grace and peace,
Tim
# posted by 
: 5:55 AM PST
: 5:55 AM PST << Home
