Glory / Lucky Lindy
Posted by: forthrightmag <forthrightmag@...>
http://www.forthright.net
Straight to the Cross
----
The assistant editor is off studying her bees. The
editor set foot back in Brazil yesterday. So we're
playing catch-up today and tomorrow, and then
we'll be back to normal.
----
COLUMN: Fidelity
Glory
by Mike Benson
"TD: Dreams in Motion" is an autobiography about
Terrell Davis, runningback for the Denver Broncos.
According to the book, Davis has faced his share
of difficulties:
"His father, Pops, tortured Davis and his
five brothers with his alcoholism, drug
dealing, and unusual disciplinary methods.
One night, while drunk and high, Pops pulled
Davis and his brothers out of bed, lined them
up against the bedroom wall, and shot at them
with his .38 special. To punish the boys for
mischief, Pops would make them strip ... and
whip them with an extension cord.
"Davis's physical demon has been his migraine
headaches, which started when he was seven.
They have plagued him ever since, sidelining
him for several high school ... college (and
professional) football games ...
"When he was a freshman at Long Beach State,
the San Diego police caught him stealing
spoke rims for his ... Chevy Impala. He was
charged with grand theft, and imprisoned for
four days.
"When Long Beach State dropped their football
program after his freshman year, Davis
transferred to the University of Georgia.
There he faced another roadblock: Ray Goff,
head coach of Georgia's football team. During
the three years Davis played for Georgia,
Goff pushed him around and even forced him to
practice when he had a migraine. When Goff
badmouthed him to NFL scouts, Davis's
reputation and draft position were hurt. Goff
further denied NFL scouts access to Davis's
game films, telling them not to waste their
draft picks."
Ironically, despite the trials in his life, Davis
was chosen the 1997 Super Bowl MVP. A year later,
he was selected as the 1998 Associated Press
Player of the Year.
How did he achieve such success in his
professional career? Consider:
* He saw Pop's beatings as his way of toughening
his sons, calling him the "most loving father I
ever could have wanted."
* He played through his blinding migraines.
* He used his four-day imprisonment as an
opportunity to rethink life and reform.
* His frustrating days at Georgia built up his
resistance to adversity.
That sounds a lot like Paul and James to me.
"But we also GLORY in tribulations, knowing that
tribulation produces perseverance; and
perseverance, character; and character, hope"
(Romans 5:1, emphasis mine).
"Count it all JOY when you fall into various
trials, knowing that the testing of your faith
produces patience" (James 1:2, emphasis mine).
How do YOU view adversity in your life? As glory?
As joy? It's something to think about, isn't it?
----
Read this article online, tell us what you think,
see who's commenting, click here:
forthright.antville.org/stories/697983/
----
COLUMN: Outlines of Faith
Lucky Lindy
by Greg Tidwell
Seventy-seven years ago today Charles Lindbergh
took off aboard "The Spirit of St. Louis" on his
historic solo flight from Long Island to France.
His adventure brought the twenty-five-year-old
pilot unimaginable fame and fortune. He soon
embarked on a promising career as an aviation
consultant and was wed to the beautiful daughter
of a prominent family. "Lucky Lindy" was the name
given to Lindbergh by the enthusiastic press.
Everything seemed to be going his way.
What a difference a few years would make! The fame
which appeared to be a blessing was in many ways a
curse. His celebrity status tragically made
Lindbergh and his family the target of
exploitation with the sad kidnapping and murder of
his infant son in 1932. Lindbergh spent the
remaining four decades of his life as a somber
recluse.
Life is filled with uncertainties, as Solomon
observed:
"Again I saw that under the sun the race is
not to the swift, nor the battle to the
strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to
the intelligent, nor favor to those with
knowledge, but time and chance happen to them
all. For man does not know his time. Like
fish that are taken in an evil net, and like
birds that are caught in a snare, so the
children of man are snared at an evil time,
when it suddenly falls upon them"
(Ecclesiastes 9:11-12).
Time provides a perspective, enabling us to
properly assess life's events. As Lindbergh noted:
"Life is like a landscape. You live in the midst
of it, but can describe it only from the vantage
point of distance."
The ultimate perspective is eternity. From God's
viewpoint, all things are made clear. In faith, we
must do our best to follow God's will and trust in
the Lord. Looking to God, we can properly deal
with life's uncertain course.
----
Read this article online, tell us what you think,
see who's commenting, click here:
forthright.antville.org/stories/794536/
You can help us get the word out. Here's how:
forthright.antville.org/stories/340415/