12Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;13but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
We are promised the joy of the Lord - every day, even when the enemy tries to steal our joy and to turn our eyes away from the sufficiency of Christ. The fiery trials will come, but we know that God will use those trials to produce in us a greater measure of His character. If we rely on Him in the midst of our adversity, we can experience the growth that He desires to bring about. When circumstances work against us, we can know that God is for us, and that He is working within our hearts and will manifest fruit to His glory!
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Despite our claims or positioning to the contrary, we are essentially frail human beings, certainly in need of a Savior. 2nd Corinthians 4 says:
7But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.8We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--10always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
In August of 2013 on my radio show, I interviewed a gentleman who had written a book entitled, "Making the Call: Living With Your Decisions." You see, Lance Easley was a banking executive who had been a referee in a limited number of high school football and college basketball games, according to Dan Wetzel's recent piece on the Yahoo! Sports website. When the NFL referees went on strike, Lance signed up to be a replacement.
On a Monday Night Football telecast, Seattle was in the midst of an improbable comeback against Green Bay. But, unlike this past Sunday's NFC Championship game, Russell Wilson's pass brought controversy. You may remember, both the Seahawks receiver, Golden Tate, and Green Bay's receiver, M.D. Jennings had their hands on the ball. Lance was there and signaled touchdown, because of simultaneous possession.
It was certainly not a popular decision. Wetzel writes:
A man who joined the Marines out of high school, who spent years in sales, who as a ref sought the big moments of making big decisions suddenly felt fear, felt helplessness, felt like the most mocked and hated man in America. He felt besieged.
He wasn't used to such a thing, hadn't built up years of thick skin and coping techniques needed to live in the public eye. He was a nobody and liked it that way. Modern connectivity makes everything spin faster. He lacked any of the infrastructure (agent, publicist, lawyer) around him to handle it, like a scandal-ridden politician or Hollywood star would have.
"I was completely under attack," Easley said.As life progressed, Lance started speaking about, as Wetzel puts it, "surviving life inside a modern storm of overnight celebrity and controversy. He figured talking about it would be a good thing. It led to a profound book, 'Making the Call: Living With Your Decisions.'"
Easley put together a four-point survival plan, D.E.A.F., to help tune out all the critical noise that comes from bullying. It was meant to be self-empowering.
• Don't be a victim.
• Embrace the stress and pressure.
• Adopt a good attitude, it's the one thing you can control.
• Form a foundation of strength to handle the storm.
Lance Easley has now come forward to say that he is suffering from PTSD, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Since June of last year, he's been on medical leave from his job. Financially, things are tough. He's separated from his wife of 28 years.
According to the story, in July 2014, his doctors felt unable to control the situation and wanted to be able to watch him more closely as they changed his medicines. Under their advice, he said, he entered the Vista del Mar Hospital, an acute psychiatric facility in Ventura, CA. He transferred a week later to the Balance Treatment Center, a mental health rehab center in Calabasas, CA, where he stayed through August. Upon release, he went through near daily counseling on an outpatient basis. He relapsed in November, he said, and returned to Balance Treatment for three more weeks and, at the time of the story, was an outpatient again.
And, Lance has hope...he is quoted as saying, "I know I'll recover," adding, "I know it. It's just going to take time to get thru it."
The Yahoo! Sports piece states that Lance Easley has support - there's a grown son, as well as friends and family who have stuck with him. He says the NFL remains available for help. He said he's done Bible study over the phone with former coach Tony Dungy and broadcaster James Brown.
I don't know how Lance Easley and Dan Wetzel connected, but I believe that it has taken quite a bit of bravery for Lance to speak out on his plight. And, there are a number of reminders that we can take away from the story.
First, pray for Lance Easley. Here is a man who was thrust into the spotlight, made a tough decision, and unfortunately, there were unintended consequences. While he may have weighed the decision to try out to be an NFL replacement referee, the magnitude of his nationally-broadcast controversial call could really not have been anticipated. When we see a brother or sister in need, the first thing we can do is pray for him. And, I hope that Christians across America have read this story and done the same.
That being said, I think that this can be a reminder that mental illness is real and the church has an opportunity, and I would dare say, an obligation to speak to the issue. I'm reminded about Pastor Rick Warren, who walked through the aftermath of the suicide of his son, who had been suffering through a mental illness. Upon his return to the pulpit of Saddleback Church, Christianity Today reported that he preached a series on "How To Get Through What You're Going Through." Warren noted, "God knows what it's like to lose a son."
He ended by promising his Saddleback congregation that their next major ministry focus would address mental illness within churches. He told the congregation, "It's amazing to me that any other organ in your body can break down and there's no shame and stigma to it," adding, "But if your brain breaks down, you're supposed to keep it a secret…. If your brain doesn't work right, why should you be ashamed of that?"
Finally, I do believe that because of his relationship with Christ, Lance Easley has hope. Driven by that hope in Christ, he is taking steps to recovery. He has friends and family - even high-profile believers associated with the sport of football. We can be reminded and challenged in our own lives, when things are falling apart all around, to turn to the Savior, who offers the strength to work through our difficulties and to stand in the midst of them. On the Goodreads.com website, Max Lucado is quoted from his book, You'll Get Through This:"
The Yahoo! Sports piece states that Lance Easley has support - there's a grown son, as well as friends and family who have stuck with him. He says the NFL remains available for help. He said he's done Bible study over the phone with former coach Tony Dungy and broadcaster James Brown.
I don't know how Lance Easley and Dan Wetzel connected, but I believe that it has taken quite a bit of bravery for Lance to speak out on his plight. And, there are a number of reminders that we can take away from the story.
First, pray for Lance Easley. Here is a man who was thrust into the spotlight, made a tough decision, and unfortunately, there were unintended consequences. While he may have weighed the decision to try out to be an NFL replacement referee, the magnitude of his nationally-broadcast controversial call could really not have been anticipated. When we see a brother or sister in need, the first thing we can do is pray for him. And, I hope that Christians across America have read this story and done the same.
That being said, I think that this can be a reminder that mental illness is real and the church has an opportunity, and I would dare say, an obligation to speak to the issue. I'm reminded about Pastor Rick Warren, who walked through the aftermath of the suicide of his son, who had been suffering through a mental illness. Upon his return to the pulpit of Saddleback Church, Christianity Today reported that he preached a series on "How To Get Through What You're Going Through." Warren noted, "God knows what it's like to lose a son."
He ended by promising his Saddleback congregation that their next major ministry focus would address mental illness within churches. He told the congregation, "It's amazing to me that any other organ in your body can break down and there's no shame and stigma to it," adding, "But if your brain breaks down, you're supposed to keep it a secret…. If your brain doesn't work right, why should you be ashamed of that?"
Finally, I do believe that because of his relationship with Christ, Lance Easley has hope. Driven by that hope in Christ, he is taking steps to recovery. He has friends and family - even high-profile believers associated with the sport of football. We can be reminded and challenged in our own lives, when things are falling apart all around, to turn to the Savior, who offers the strength to work through our difficulties and to stand in the midst of them. On the Goodreads.com website, Max Lucado is quoted from his book, You'll Get Through This:"
“You'll get through this. It won't be painless. It won't be quick. But God will use this mess for good. In the meantime don't be foolish or naïve. But don't despair either. With God's help you will get through this.”
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