“I Don’t Got This!” (09/29/2024)

Yesterday, as I was watching a college football game, a player ran forward, watching the punted ball coming toward him, his arms outstretched, everything about him said, “I got this!”  Then the ball went through his arms and hit the ground. And a man from the opposing team fell on it and claimed it for his team.

My heart went out to that man who was sure he had the ball. The camera came in for close up of the player’s face. I could read the horror and shame; I knew it well. I can’t count the number of times in my own life I kept saying, “I got this” only to have to admit, “I don’t got this!” And it was especially upsetting when others were depending on me and were there to see me fail. How about you? Ever had an “I don’t got this!” moment?

“I don’t got this!” moments can strike us for a number of reasons: misreading the signs, pride, overconfidence, refusal to rely upon others, outside forces. Hopefully, we are graced with two gifts: supportive understanding of others and the courage to keep going. We will need to prayerfully discern what went wrong and admit our error. But we will also need to keep going, to stay in the game.

I bet that if we spoke to the 10 greatest players of all time, they will remember a day when they realized “I don’t got this,” and I bet it was very public. It would be interesting to ask them how they overcame it and their feelings of failure and embarrassment.  I suspect the answer lies in their determination to do it well. And the same should be true of us on our spiritual journey. There will be days when we fail and are embarrassed, but we should also be willing to keep trying because we are committed to living well as Christ calls us to live.

Over the years, I have learned to seek the help of the LORD first. I have found that most often when I fail, it is out of pride and lack of reliance on the LORD. It’s not that the LORD is punishing me for my over confidence; rather it is that without the LORD’s loving Spirit, I am not as good as I can be.  I’m like an engine without all its pistons firing. And I’ve found that at times it has been because I failed to recognize the importance of the gifts of others along the way.  I’m an important member of the Body of Christ, but I’m only one member.

As we continue our journeys of faith, buoyed by hope in our LORD’s promise, and fueled by love for our LORD and our sisters and brothers, let us seek to humbly address that which comes our way knowing that the LORD is with us, and we are blessed with the companionship of others and their help. And let us begin by asking for their help and accepting it when it comes with loving gratitude.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.