20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
His presence can work powerfully through us - He has provided the tools we need in order to respond to the challenges we face. Perhaps it is a personal decision; He gives us wisdom. Maybe we are feeling weak in a work situation; He has promised His strength. Perhaps we have a deep struggle; He brings us His comfort. And, when He brings people our way who have struggles, we can allow Him to minister through us.
In Ephesians 5, we read about spiritual readiness. We see these verses:
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
The latest batch of Super Bowl commercials have now been seen on television, with quite of few of them, even in expanded versions, available online. I'm not sure how many of them will be talked about very much in the days to come; actually, the game may not get a lot of discussion, either, having been the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in history. And, it's the lowest rated game in almost a decade.
But, there were some moments during the breaks (and during my time watching the Super Bowl, I found myself tempted to switch away, but in a few breaks, I tried to leave the television set on CBS to watch the commercials.)
The USA Today Ad Meter results are in, and the top commercial was a 100th anniversary spot for the NFL that included current and past NFL players. The 2nd one was for Amazon Alexa and featured Harrison Ford and instances of rejected designs for Alexa. In the #3 position, it was Microsoft's ad featuring special needs kids and video games. And at #4, Hyundai's "elevator" commercial featuring Jason Bateman as an elevator operator taking passengers to different floors of unpleasant activities, including...car shopping.
Admittedly, I haven't seen them all, but one particular commercial made quite an impact on me. It was the #5 commercial on the Ad Meter. It features an NFL coach, Anthony Lynn of the Los Angeles Chargers, speaking to a group of first responders - but, there is a plot twist: he was actually reunited with those who saved his life a number of years ago. The ad was for Verizon, saluting the first responders and underscoring its dedication to making sure they get the call for help.
People Magazine's website had some backstory of the commercial itself. It relates:
The story shares quotes from two of the first responders who were there that night, who had treated the coach, but had no idea whether he had lived or died. The story states that:
Firefighter David Mendoza said, “Coach Lynn had no idea that he was going to reunite with us...Seeing the look on his face when he got to meet us was amazing.” He is also quoted as saying, “I often don’t get the chance to meet the people I’ve helped,” adding, "It was so great to talk with him and see him doing so well, and to just give him a hug.”
+++++
In Ephesians 5, we read about spiritual readiness. We see these verses:
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
The latest batch of Super Bowl commercials have now been seen on television, with quite of few of them, even in expanded versions, available online. I'm not sure how many of them will be talked about very much in the days to come; actually, the game may not get a lot of discussion, either, having been the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in history. And, it's the lowest rated game in almost a decade.
But, there were some moments during the breaks (and during my time watching the Super Bowl, I found myself tempted to switch away, but in a few breaks, I tried to leave the television set on CBS to watch the commercials.)
The USA Today Ad Meter results are in, and the top commercial was a 100th anniversary spot for the NFL that included current and past NFL players. The 2nd one was for Amazon Alexa and featured Harrison Ford and instances of rejected designs for Alexa. In the #3 position, it was Microsoft's ad featuring special needs kids and video games. And at #4, Hyundai's "elevator" commercial featuring Jason Bateman as an elevator operator taking passengers to different floors of unpleasant activities, including...car shopping.
Admittedly, I haven't seen them all, but one particular commercial made quite an impact on me. It was the #5 commercial on the Ad Meter. It features an NFL coach, Anthony Lynn of the Los Angeles Chargers, speaking to a group of first responders - but, there is a plot twist: he was actually reunited with those who saved his life a number of years ago. The ad was for Verizon, saluting the first responders and underscoring its dedication to making sure they get the call for help.
People Magazine's website had some backstory of the commercial itself. It relates:
In 2005, Lynn worked on the coaching staff for the Dallas Cowboys football team. On October 20, he went out to dinner following a training camp session in Ventura, California. Afterward, while Lynn walked across the street, a speeding car — with a drunk driver at the wheel — came barreling at him.
“I just remember seeing the headlights,” Lynn recalled.
Another coach saw something far worse: Lynn flying 45-50 feet into the air, and crashing headfirst into a parked car. Lynn fell to the ground with two collapsed lungs, three broken ribs, and major facial and shoulder damage. He was choking on his own blood.
“I just prayed,” Lynn said. “I thought for sure I was dead.”In a barrage of ads for alcoholic beverages, I thought it was notable that this commercial shared the story of the effect of alcohol.
The story shares quotes from two of the first responders who were there that night, who had treated the coach, but had no idea whether he had lived or died. The story states that:
“He didn’t realize we were there” for the surprise reunion, Skyla Bosco — who was a paramedic who arrived on scene shortly after Lynn’s accident — tells PEOPLE. “It was really emotional. He broke down. We were all trying not to cry.”About that night in 2005, Bosco said, “He was in bad shape,” adding, “He kind of kept going in and out. He would open and close his eyes.” He also had "mumbled that he couldn't feel his legs," according to the story. Bosco said: “We gave each other the uh-oh,” Bosco says, adding, “Is he going to live? Why can’t he feel his legs?”
Firefighter David Mendoza said, “Coach Lynn had no idea that he was going to reunite with us...Seeing the look on his face when he got to meet us was amazing.” He is also quoted as saying, “I often don’t get the chance to meet the people I’ve helped,” adding, "It was so great to talk with him and see him doing so well, and to just give him a hug.”
Lynn had told ESPN, "[The doctors] said 100 percent of people die who get hit by a car going 55 to 60 miles per hour," adding, "Somehow, by the grace of God, I survived it." Lynn is using his platform to speak at events for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
This ad told a compelling story, and it provides some great reminders. For one thing, reflecting on past meaningful moments of your life can be very valuable, especially when you saw God show up. The Verizon ad was part of a campaign of people whose lives were saved by first responders: people who you might say "shouldn't be here." That phrase is an catalyst to consider that if we are here, then why are we here - and that is to fulfill God's purpose.
We can also have a sense of gratitude for those who have helped save your life; you may not have had a life-threatening situation, but perhaps there is someone who has helped you in saving your spiritual life. We can thank the Lord for the people He has used to steer us in His direction and to help us grow. And, maybe there can be an opportunity to thank them directly.
We cannot minimize those who are first responders; who work in police, fire, or military. They are people who are in a risky profession and they come face-to-face with human suffering. It is a noble practice to tell those who serve in this way how much they are appreciated. And, in a spiritual sense, we may be put on the front lines to be a first responder - we can consider how we respond to those in need, perhaps urgent. As God points out the need, we can rely on His equipping to help.
This ad told a compelling story, and it provides some great reminders. For one thing, reflecting on past meaningful moments of your life can be very valuable, especially when you saw God show up. The Verizon ad was part of a campaign of people whose lives were saved by first responders: people who you might say "shouldn't be here." That phrase is an catalyst to consider that if we are here, then why are we here - and that is to fulfill God's purpose.
We can also have a sense of gratitude for those who have helped save your life; you may not have had a life-threatening situation, but perhaps there is someone who has helped you in saving your spiritual life. We can thank the Lord for the people He has used to steer us in His direction and to help us grow. And, maybe there can be an opportunity to thank them directly.
We cannot minimize those who are first responders; who work in police, fire, or military. They are people who are in a risky profession and they come face-to-face with human suffering. It is a noble practice to tell those who serve in this way how much they are appreciated. And, in a spiritual sense, we may be put on the front lines to be a first responder - we can consider how we respond to those in need, perhaps urgent. As God points out the need, we can rely on His equipping to help.
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