Faith and the Grammys

In Isaiah 55, we read about the superior wisdom of God and the power of His word, which we're told will not return void:
8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. 9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

That passage helps us to concentrate on the power of God's word.   And, it can offer encouragement for all of us who have been planting seeds - we may not see the fruit, or any growth at all, but God just might be at work bringing His word to mind.   We have to think that the influence that we exert toward others can have a lasting effect and eternal consequences.  When you observe someone who was raised in the church and turns away from those principles or apparently is not serving Christ, or you see someone drifting from Him...you can draw strength from the assurance that God's word is at work - so don't be discouraged and keep planting the seeds.

Ephesians 1 talks about being connected to Christ:
18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe... 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

The Grammys were handed out last night in Hollywood, and there are 5 categories in which Christian musicians are recognized.   Of course, these were all given during the Grammy pre-show.

Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance

Winner:  10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord) - Matt Redman

Other nominees: 

Jesus, Friend Of Sinners - Casting Crowns

Take Me To The King - Tamela Mann

Go Get It - Mary Mary

My Testimony - Marvin Sapp

Best Gospel Song

Winner: Go Get It (written by Erica Campbell, Tina Campbell & Warryn Campbell; recorded by Mary Mary)

Other nominees:  

Hold On  (Cheryl Fortune, James Fortune & Terence Vaughn, songwriters; recorded by James Fortune 

     & FIYA, Monica & Fred Hammond)

I Feel Good (Phillip Feaster, Fred Hammond, Jonathan Miller & Calvin Rodgers, songwriters; recorded 

     by Fred Hammond)

My Testimony (Aaron Lindsey & Marvin Sapp, songwriters; recorded by Marvin Sapp)

Released (Donald Lawrence, songwriter; recorded byBill Winston & Living Word Featuring 

     Donald Lawrence)

Best Contemporary Christian Music Song

TIE:  10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord) - Jonas Myrin & Matt Redman, songwriters (Matt Redman)

AND

Your Presence is Heaven - Israel Houghton & Micah Massey, songwriters (Israel & New Breed)

Other nominees:

Jesus, Friend of Sinners - Mark Hall & Matthew West, songwriters (Casting Crowns)

When Mercy Found Me - Jeff Pardo & Rhett Walker, songwriters (Rhett Walker Band)

White Flag - Jason Ingram, Matt Maher, Matt Redman & Chris Tomlin, songwriters (Passion & Chris Tomlin)

Best Gospel Album

Winner: Gravity - Lecrae

Other nominees:

Identity - James Fortune & FIYA

Jesus At The Center Live - Israel & New Breed

I Win - Marvin Sapp

Worship Soul - Anita Wilson

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album

Winner: Eye On It - TobyMac

Other nominees:

Come To The Well - Casting Crowns

Where I Find You - Kari Jobe

Gold - Britt Nicole

Into The Light - Matthew West

And, of course, there are faith-related backstories of some of the nominees.  Also, in the pre-show, the haunting song played during the closing credits of the movie, "The Hunger Games" won a Grammy for country-folk duo, the Civil Wars, which includes Joy Williams, who has recorded a number of Christian albums.   Even though the duo has apparently either broken up or gone on hiatus both Joy and John Paul White were on stage to receive the award along with Taylor Swift.

And, in the Country Duo or Group category, the song was up against "Pontoon" by Little Big Town.  That group was co-founded by former Truth member Karen Fairchild, who met bandmate Kimberly Schlapman while they were students at Samford University.  

Plus, there was the Album of the Year award to a quirky and enormously popular group from the U.K. called Mumford and Sons.   Leader Marcus Mumford's parents are leaders in the Vineyard movement, and a piece in the American Spectator that highlights some of the pushback that the band has received due to their overtly spiritual, even Christian lyrics, says:

An NPR piece on the backlash against the band notes that the group’s singer was “raised in a devout Christian household” and that the “rise of the megachurch… has a lot to do with the newest wave of folk-rock taking hold.” The writer references a “rock ‘n’ roll code” that celebrates outsiders and subversives. Mr. Mumford, a Christian in the pop world of Lady Gaga, Ke$ha and Eminem, rebels against that code. This makes him a conformist. Do you follow?

The piece goes on to say:

Lyrically, Mumford, even if sparingly and obliquely, addresses matters of faith...

In a world without taboos the only taboo is God. A higher power reminds of limitations, authority, and that something greater than number one exists. The rock star imagines himself as a human deity, and his many worshippers treat him accordingly. God’s a real buzz kill in that anthropocentric universe.

The closing line is classic:

We don’t learn from the reviews of Babel whether or not Mumford & Sons are closeted Jesus freaks. We do learn that reviewers freak out about Jesus.

So who knows what is running through the soul of Mumford and Sons?   But, if their lyrics are exploring spiritual themes and challenging people to think about Jesus, then perhaps God can use these references in pop culture in thoughts and conversations.   The pedigree is there - Mumford is bringing it out; unfortunately, another preacher's kid, Katy Perry, is not - but there's even hope for her...it's been a crisis period in her life, circulating around a failed marriage - and we all know that the trials of life can force us to cry out to God.   You have to pray that God is not finished with the former Christian artist Katy Hudson.   So often, when you see musical artists that were raised in the church and it appears they are not walking in that truth, you have to remember that you don't know what is going on in that person's heart, and perhaps even now that artist or actor is considering spiritual truth.

So, even outside the Christian "box" at the Grammys, there is a faith element - there are some of the top names that got their start singing in church - and there are those who integrate their faith or at least communicate their faith influence through their music.   I think there's great symbolism here for us - we can be challenged to look for ways to radiate our faith, even outside the four walls of the church...not in a compromising fashion, but being tethered to Christ and intentional in our outreach.

Only One Savior

In Psalm 115, the writer exalts the One True God:
1 Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But to Your name give glory, Because of Your mercy, Because of Your truth. 2 Why should the Gentiles say, "So where is their God?" 3 But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.

Here we see a wonderful acknowledgement of our God, the One who resides in heaven and does according to His good pleasure - His perfect will!   We live in an age where many are looking for substitutes for God - those that deny any deity, those who attribute deity to all sorts of mystic fables, and those who deify human leaders.   And, we have that human, fleshly, prideful tendency to put ourselves in the place of the Lord in our lives, exalting ourselves to the throne of our lives, when things would be so much better for us if we were to relinquish that impossible position to Him.

In Ephesians chapter 4, we read:
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 
The front cover of TIME magazine recently identified one man as "The Republican Savior".   This one guy is bright, well-spoken, the son of immigrants, and in a party that the media and some within the party say needs to reinvent itself after losing an election by 5 million or so votes out of about 128 million cast nationwide, Senator Marco Rubio represents the best hope for the GOP recapturing the Presidency in 2016. 

According to a piece in the Wall Street Journal, his high-profile efforts to reform immigration, and the news that he will be giving the Republican response to the President's State of the Union speech this week have place Rubio squarely in the headlines.   He is described as "the key player in his party's efforts to make up to Hispanic voters after a disastrous 2012 campaign".

This coronation by TIME of Sen. Rubio as a savior prompted Mr. Rubio to tweet last Thursday morning: 

There is only one savior, and it is not me. #Jesus


It reminded me of the great line in the Avengers movie, when Captain America, told that Thor and Loki were "gods", replied, "“There’s only one God, ma’am, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t dress like that.”

It is refreshing to hear references to the one true God, because in this culture, there are a variety of gods to choose from.    We look to leaders for our salvation, spiritual and otherwise.   And, we have a sobering reminder of the humanity of our earthly leaders, even religious ones, as we read the headlines today that Pope Benedict will be stepping down as of the end of the month, which means there will likely be a new pontiff by Easter.

Speaking in Latin to a gathering of cardinals earlier today, the pope said:

"After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine Ministry."

The pope added that his strength in the last few months had "deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me."

The earthly leaders we look to are not infallible.  Our savior is not the Pope, not Sen. Rubio, or President Obama.   Our ultimate source of salvation is in the one true God, and His Son, Jesus Christ.

And, the most identifiable suspect that we look to as a replacement or a misguided complement to the one true God is...you.   Each day is a struggle for control - will we follow God's path for our lives or will we set our own course, maybe looking for God's approval, or maybe not acknowledge Him at all?   We make decisions that we think are right, but even if we sometimes get it right without being submitted to God, it's not His best.   We have to be convinced that our walk of faith in Christ is the absolutely correct way to live, and if we recognize Him as the ONE TRUE GOD, it will make a tremendous difference in the way we approach our lives and the temperament that we display.    What are you regarding as a "substitute god" in your life?

Tangible Rays of Light

In the 3rd chapter of John, following that wonderful Scripture verse, John 3:16 that speaks of God's love for the world - for everyone, we read this very challenging passage in verses 19 through 21:
19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."   This is really a great goal for us - to express, essentially to BE the light of Christ, to everyone we meet.   It is not our job description to judge the hearts of others, but our obligation to the Lord is to live in His light, and let the Holy Spirit take care of the conviction.  If we come across as condescending or condemning to others, we run the risk of damaging our witness and cloaking the light.   Not sharing the love of Christ is one way we hide the light, but having the improper attitude toward others can also keep people from being attracted to the character of the Lord, as we allow Him to flow through us.

Ephesians chapter 5 can help us to see who we are in Christ, and how our new identity, our new nature governs our personal behavior, including how we relate to others:
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.

We have been redeemed, and we can rejoice in that!   And, we have a calling in this world to shine the light of Christ - not to hide it or to hinder it.   I believe that we do hinder the expression of Christ's light when we are uncivil, even to the point of being combative.   We can be grounded in our convictions, but it is so important that we express those convictions in a way that compels instead of offends.  We can be firm in what we believe, and sensitive to how we communicate, making sure that we are doing so with compassion, radiating the character of our Lord.

1st John chapter 1 reminds us of the power of light, contained within our hearts, that can be released by His people:
2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us-- 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. 5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.   We can talk about light all we want, but it's so important that we make it an aim to shine His light, to radiate the character of Christ, in very practical ways.   And, I believe this is something that is illustrated by this story:  Shane Windmeyer is a nationally recognized leader in the homosexual rights movement.    He was a person who was offended by a the head of a certain corporation who stated his support for traditional marriage.   He has admitted that he was wrong in his appraisal of this man.   And, the sea change began as the result of that man making a phone call.
Kelly Boggs, writing for Baptist Press, quoted a column that Shane had submitted to the HuffingtonPost: "...after months of personal phone calls, text messages and in-person meetings, I am coming out in a new way, as a friend of Chick-fil-A's president and COO, Dan Cathy, and I am nervous about it. I have come to know him and Chick-fil-A in ways that I would not have thought possible when I first started hearing from LGBT students about their concerns over the chicken chain's giving practices."      Shane was invited to be a guest of Dan Cathy at the Chick-Fil-A bowl this past New Year's Eve.    Windmeyer had written that getting to know Dan reminded him of the relationship with his uncle, who is a pastor.   He stated, "My uncle would never want to see any harm come to me or Tommy [Shane's "husband"]...His beliefs prevented him from fully reconciling what he understood as the immorality of homosexuality with the morality of loving and supporting me and my life. It was, and remains, an unsolvable riddle for him, hating the sin and loving the sinner."
Kelly Boggs wrote:"While it might seem like a riddle to Windmeyer, it is actually the grace of the Lord impacting a person's life and enabling him to live out the teaching of Jesus to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
Boggs related a story of someone who confronted him one time for writing "vitriolic, anti-homosexual garbage for Baptist Press":

She believed herself to be a follower of Christ and talked about her "evolution" on the subject of homosexuality. She also expressed dismay at how someone like me could be, in her words, so unloving.
I asked her to share specific instances where I had been unloving in anything I had ever written. She said she couldn't. I then explained to her that I had nothing personal against her or her homosexual friends, I just fundamentally and strongly disagreed with her ideas and arguments.
I also made it clear that I primarily took issue with activists who pushed for the normalization and celebration of homosexuality. I also said that my conviction on the matter was rooted not only in the Bible, but also my understanding of biology. 

At the end of an almost half-hour conversation, she admitted that Boggs was "pretty nice".

He concludes the column by saying: "There is no doubt that public and political discourse is way too uncivil these days. While I have no control of those with whom I disagree, I do have control over myself. It is my strong desire to follow the teachings of Christ and to treat others, in print and in person, the way I would like to be treated, and that is with dignity and respect."

There you have it - practical examples of changing perceptions, changing the narrative, and walking as salt and light.   Dan Cathy could have sought the safety of corporate headquarters, but instead he made a contact; he sought to shine the light.   Shane Windmeyer's uncle could have resorted to purely public pronouncements, but he chose to show love to someone with whom he disagreed.   Kelly Boggs chose civility over confrontation - or, as Greg Koukl puts it, "diplomacy" instead of "D-Day".   By our love and willingness to dialogue even with those with whom we disagree, we release the character of Christ and radiate His love.

The Lights Are On

The light of Christ, which shines in and through the lives of His people, becomes an expression of hope to a dark world.  Here are the words of Jesus from Matthew 5:
14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

I was thinking about the power of light - God's light, based on His truth and the power of His presence.   When we encounter evil, we can know it can be confronted by the power of the Holy Spirit.   Where darkness reigns - in our hearts and in our communities, we can rely on the light of Christ to dispel it; piece by piece, step by step, repairing the destruction and reversing the patterns that lead to death.   But, we have to be willing to release the power of His light - walking in victory over the power of sin internally and communicating the victory that is possible in Him to the people to whom He has called us to minister.

In John chapter 1, we read a description of our Savior, who has come to shine His light into our world:
3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

The unbelievable hostage standoff in an underground bunker in Midland City is over, and the community is beginning to experience relief - and healing.   It was indeed a traumatic series of events - the thought of a school bus being invaded by someone who was apparently meaning to do significant harm.   A 5-year-old boy being held captive by a person who was so troubled by the demons of fear and paranoia that rational thought had apparently dissipated, by and large.    But, it was also a testimony to the power of faith and of community.

I wanted to take a few moments to reflect on the main characters in this incredible drama:
First of all, there's little Ethan, a brave little boy who was closed in for a week, held underground in a strange place with a total stranger.   While he is smiling and playing now, no doubt there are some images that may play in his mind in the days and years to come.  We trust that the Lord will be a source of comfort and healing for him in the future, as well as for Ethan's mom, who had to endure the uncertainty resulting from the abduction of and separation from her child - it is certainly a nightmare that we as parents would never want to face.  

And, there is the hero - the bus driver, Charles Poland, who had received hostage training just weeks before the situation unfolded outside Midland City.  He stood between the villain and the children, ultimately giving his life so that the lives of these children would be saved.   There is no way to know how many young people would have lost their lives on that bus if Mr. Poland had not stepped up.   He was laid to rest and honored over the weekend by people in the community, and the Alabama Senate commended him for his bravery.

There was another death in this whole scenario, and as Christians who value every life, we still remember Jimmy Lee Dykes - there is no way to know the life circumstances that led to the overwhelming fear that drove his final days.   The shadows of paranoia that led him to believe that people, including the government, were out to get him.   A man so intent on self-preservation that he had built a bunker and surrounded it with explosives.   He is a tragic figure who has much to teach us about fear and its operation - if we give into fear, it will distort our thinking - if we act on these impulses, we can destroy ourselves and people around us.

Finally, there are the people of Midland City and surrounding areas - leaving the lights on every night on their homes, lighting candles at City Hall, meeting together at churches across the region to pray and release the power of the light to dispel unspeakable darkness that had invaded their peaceful community.  

In a piece on worldmag.com, the sheriff of Dale County is quoted:

“This boy is a very special child,” said Dale County Sheriff Wally Olson Monday night. “He's been through and endured a lot, and by the grace of God, he's OK. That was the mission of every man and woman on this compound. Of every law enforcement officer, every first responder, and all of the community who prayed to bring him home safely." 

Shortly before officers rescued the boy, Melissa Knighton, city clerk, said a woman had been praying in the town center. 

“She must have had a direct line to God because shortly after she left, they heard the news,” Knighton said.

Prayers have been answered, healing has begun, and the testimony of Midland City, Newton, Pinckard, Dothan, and surrounding areas has been communicated to the world - when the darkness comes, we can light a candle - God's light is powerful and compelling and will dispel the darkness.

Another "Side" of the Big Game

This passage from 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 can help us get a glimpse of what it means to be a vessel, to be used to share Christ's love and shine His light:
5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

A vessel can be described as a container...and as vessels in the hand of the Master, I believe that we are called to be filled with the Spirit of God, walking in His life.   And, we do not keep that to ourselves - we can be challenged to radiate the love of Christ, being so filled with His life that people can detect, in a powerful way, the presence of the Almighty when they are in our presence.   Because Christ lives in us, He desires for us to allow that life to flow into the lives of other people.

Let's reflect on some challenging words from 1st John chapter 2:
6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked... 9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. 10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Yesterday, I shared a bit of the story of Jim Caldwell, offensive coordinator of the world champion Baltimore Ravens.  There obviously was quite a turnaround in the Ravens' offense after they went into somewhat of a tailspin toward the end of the regular season.  Well, there were some successful moves that were implemented in the Ravens' offensive line just before the playoffs that payed big dividends...one of those moves involved moving the left tackle to right tackle as part of an overall retooling.   The right tackle - Michael Oher.   Yes, that Michael Oher.   You know, "The Blind Side" - if you want an entertaining, heartwarming movie, watch the film.  If you want a more accurate picture of Michael's story, read the book.  Seems Michael's not a fan of how he was portrayed as having zero football knowledge prior to linking up with his adoptive family - when asked about the film at Media Day, he said, "I'm tired of the movie.  I'm here to play football".

But, he's certainly not tired of Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, who took him into their home, essentially rescuing him out of a troubled background.   Eventually, they did adopt him, and he has become part of their family.  In July 2010, they released the New York Times best-seller, In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving, and established their charity, The Making It Happen Foundation, which promotes awareness, provides hope and improves standards of living for all the children fighting to survive in the invisible cracks in society.

The Tuohys were in New Orleans to cheer Michael and the Ravens on this past weekend, and they were joined by a special guest, actress Sandra Bullock, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy in "The Blind Side" - apparently Sandra keeps in contact with the Tuohys and with Michael, as well.    And perhaps this high-profile reunion can communicate an illustration of powerful truth.

Leigh Anne says, "When someone comes into your life, like a Michael Oher, trust me, when I tell you that you (the giver) will benefit much more than the receiver ever will. We truly learned about being a real family when Michael came into our lives. We were fooling ourselves before. One simple random act of kindness opened our eyes to the true meaning of what a family was all about."

In a CitizenLink interview, the Tuohys said:

Michael had no family background. He never had a father figure in his life and he had an absent mother.

Michael saw in us a family unity that he had never seen before. We plugged him right in (as a family member) and never missed a beat.

People can tell pretty quickly how you feel about them. At first, I think he was a little shocked and in awe. When he realized it was really genuine (how we all felt about him), he felt comfortable immediately and wanted to receive help.

(In terms of our faith), he felt comfortable with it, and he knew from the beginning that God and Christ are first in our family.

When we went to church on Sundays, I never had to say “Michael, get up,” because he wanted to do what the family did.

He has always known how important our faith was, and he accepted Christ his junior year in high school.

We are really big on letting people see (Christ) in our lives and trying to help them that way.

The Tuohys story is certainly inspiring, and it's their faith the drives them.  Over the weekend, Sean talked about the sign in their garage that says, "we believe in miracles".   There may be a miracle just waiting to happen somewhere around you - an expression of God's presence and faithfulness...and He may have just chosen you as the vessel, the vehicle, through which it happens.   You never know where a simple act of kindness may lead - open yourself up and allow the Lord to use you to radiate His love and bring Him glory.

Solid as a Rock

Hebrews 10 encourages us to draw near to God, to hold on to Him no matter what might be going on in our lives:
22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,

There is a story that God is writing in your life - He has a plan and purpose for us, and He is teaching us along the way.   There may be milestones that we can look back upon and say, hmm, perhaps God was protecting me or preserving me - that turning point in my life propelled me to a greater level of commitment or service to Him.   Or, you think, if I had made a different choice, things may have not turned out the same.   I do think it's helpful to us to acknowledge God's guiding hand, and His faithfulness to us, even when we miss His promptings and head in a direction that is not in accordance with His will for our lives - He will help us get on course and stay on course, and He provides some of those landmark moments along the way.

Galatians chapter 6 talks about the power of, as we might say, "hainging in there":
(7b)...whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

As a 5-year old kid, Jim's mother took their family to the neighborhood swimming pool.   Even though the children said they'd stay in the shallow end, Jim decided to be a bit adventurous and go to the deep end.  The problem was - he couldn't swim!  As he descended a slide into the pool, he entered the water and went down - down - down.

As Sports Spectrum magazine tells it, a kid jumped off a 25-foot high dive and his feet, miraculously touched the floor of the pool in between Jim's legs.  Jim grabbed the diver's trunks, and then, he was swimming on his back with Jim resting on his chest above the water — gagging uncontrollably and coughing up water out of his lungs.


After he placed Jim on the side of the pool, that's the last he ever saw of him.   On the way home, Jim, still shaken by the experience, looked at his mother. “I almost died today,” he said.

“I know,” she replied. “But the Lord protected you. He’ll watch over you because I’ve been praying for you.”

His mom's belief in the power of prayer was a great example to him.  Prayer has helped to sustain Jim throughout his life and his career.   He says:  “I know prayer is needed in my profession...My prayer life is what keeps me in balance. It doesn’t let me get out of wack. It’s about solitude and being on your knees.”

Jim went into the coaching field - he attracted the attention of a man named Tony Dungy, served as his assistant in two cities, and then when Coach Dungy retired, he replaced him as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts.   After leading the Colts to the Super Bowl, where they lost to New Orleans.  But, without Peyton Manning, Coach Jim Caldwell was, well, less-than-successful.    After a 2-14 season, Caldwell was fired.

But, that's not the end of the story - and a failure should never be the end of our respective stories.   Caldwell went on to work again - as a quarterbacks coach in the NFL.   He labored in that position throughout the 2012 season, until...his head coach decided to fire the team's offensive coordinator during the final month of the regular season.   The team lost 4 out of its last 5 regular season games and had little promise of advancing in the playoffs, even with Caldwell running the offense.   Jim Caldwell, deposed Super Bowl head coach, relegated to a lower-level coaching position, helped to lead the Baltimore Ravens to an improbable run through the AFC playoffs to a Super Bowl victory.  The quarterback he coached throughout the season:  Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco.

This story is chock full of lessons for us.   Jim Caldwell has a proven track record in reliance on prayer, and I am positive that was a huge factor for him over the past year or so.   He continued to do his work diligently, even though he was laboring in relative obscurity.  And, even when our lives might resemble a string of losses, we still have to trust in the faithfulness of God - don't give up, He has a plan for our lives!

Flee, Freeze, or Fight

In Hebrews chapter 12, we are challenged to run the race of life, to live our lives with an attitude of endurance:
1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  If we are viewing our lives as a long-distance race, we recognize that endurance is a key component.    Adverse circumstances can weigh us down and make us want to give up, but God can sustain us and strengthen us for the battles we face.  But, the Lord wants to do a lasting work in us, building our character and drawing us close to Him - we keep pressing on as He gives us the inner strength and the perfect peace that are helpful as we keep going.   In our darkest moments, we can have the assurance that He is there, working in us, reminding us of His love and faithfulness.

James 1 is a rather familiar passage to many, and it can provide encouragement for us, even when facing the most adverse of circumstances:
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

The spotlight will shine on the brothers Harbaugh this Sunday evening in Super Bowl XLVII (47) in New Orleans, and no matter which Harbaugh will get the credit for the victory, there's another Harbaugh involved who should really be an inspiration to all of us as fathers - and leaders.

That would be their father, Jack - after all, he's the one who modeled leadership, toughness, tenacity, and devotion to faith and family for the 2 brothers.   And, there's a great Jack Harbaugh story that goes back to 1992 - he was hired as head football coach at Western Kentucky University.   At the time, the Hilltoppers were in danger of losing their football program.  Budget cuts, scholoarship losses and elimination of two coaching positions hampered the program, and Jack - then the head coach - struggled with where to turn.

Enter the 2 sons - one an NFL quarterback at the time, the other an assistant with another university.  Quarterback Jim volunteered to serve as an unpaid assistant coach at WKU during the NFL off-season. Coach Harbaugh’s other son John was a recruiter at the University of Cincinnati, and his father asked him to share the names of prospects that weren’t a fit at Cincinnati but might be at WKU. The list then made its way into the hands of brother Jim Harbaugh, who used his name recognition as an NFL star as a foot in the door to spark prospects interest in WKU and who otherwise might not have given the University a second look.

According to columnist John Brubaker, coach Harbaugh posted a sign in the locker room which read “Those Who Stay Will Be Champions.” The sign remains there as a reminder to all about the power and value of resilience. Brubaker asks: What is your rally cry and how does it speak to the mission or task at hand?

He goes on to write:

Budget cuts, downsizing, salary freezes, outright elimination of some departments. You could be next and the only question is what you do: flee, freeze, or fight.
 
Most might choose to flee but you’d actually have to have other employment options and in this economy there aren’t a lot of jobs to be had. When this happens, many others feel forced to freeze, feeling shocked by the gravity of it all they opt to do nothing. After all, they feel powerless and trapped by circumstances.

There are a select few leaders who do like Coach Jack Harbaugh did, choose to fight back and not simply be a witness and casualty to circumstance. They hold themselves 100 percent responsible for their success or failure, and as a result, create their own circumstances.

Flee, freeze, or fight.   Those are the options highlighted here.   There are certain things we are instructed to run from in life, generally dealing with temptation.   And, there will be legitimate cases where God will direct us to leave a situation.   Freezing up out of fear of the unknown can be very devastating.  

Harbaugh, the elder, took responsibility - he did something; and perhaps God is calling you to not allow yourself to be victimized by circumstances or paralyzed by adversity.   If we exhibit perseverance, depending on the Lord, He will perform, as James 1 says, a perfect work in us - to His glory.