As A Man Thinks, So He Is

Yes, that's me running for a touchdown, my senior season in 1968, during our school's traditional Thanksgiving Day game.

In 1967, “Doc” Miller, my high school football coach, took over a winning tradition of which I had been a part of. In the nine years that I played the sport, only one year did my team mates and I have a losing season - our very first year together in the local midget football league. As a team, we played together on and off the field. We remained friends, as well as team mates, throughout grammar school and high school.

During “Doc’s” first year as our coach, we lost our first three games. Following our third loss, to our arch rival, he walked into a quiet and very discouraged locker room of players, and said ever so softly but forcefully, “I have shouldered the blame for the first two losses saying it was poor coaching and poor planning. But, I will not carry the blame for this game!” I will never forget those words or his thundering words that followed, NO MORE!!!

We went on to win the next six games that season, finishing with a 6-3-0 record. We won an additional 5 games the next season before our 11 game winning streak came to an end. Our senior and final year together, we finished the season with a 7-2-0 record.

The point of my story is this, "Doc" knew we were a better team. He knew that we also knew it. As a man thinks, so he is. Sometimes we concentrate on our mistakes, our failures, our blown opportunities. We replay in our minds the dropped pass, the missed block, the foolish penalty, the bad play call. We do the same thing in our spiritual walk. We replay in our mind the time we looked foolish; the word we wish we had not said; the slight that should never have been spoken; the missed opportunity; the botched plan. God says, the past is past. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow.” (Isaiah 1:18)

All that matters is the future. God delights in taking people who are disappointed with themselves and helping them get hold of themselves and make a bold, new beginning.

“Doc” Miller was a good coach. It was my privilege a few years later to be at his bedside with several other former students and players to hear him pray the sinner's prayer. A few months later, he crossed the eternal goal line . . .