This last Saturday I volunteered at my son's Jr. football game... I was part of the chain gang. What this consisted of was moving the markers along the sideline of the field to indicate placement of the ball. This job also lets the teams know how much further they have to go to get another first down (or fresh start).
The last time I was part of a chain gang was after high school. During that game I made a mistake that really got a coach and fans upset. The teams were from two middle schools in the area, and the score was close. During one of the plays the ball carrier was being driven out of bounds, straight toward me. I wasn't sure what to do with the pole I was holding to mark where the ball was so I stayed planted in my spot. The player ran right into the metal pole marker I was holding, causing him to bounce and spin as he tumbled out of bounds.
The coach started yelling at the referee because of me because I could have (as he screamed in my direction) "broken the kid's neck." I really don't think that by hitting the pole I could have caused that much damage... In fact the player was just fine. I think the coach was really upset because the play didn't go as well as he had hoped. The referee pulled me aside and explained that if the play starts coming toward the sideline that I was to drop the pole and move aside. I still recall the sickening feeling of being yelled at by the coach in front of all the fans... it was quite a scene.
This past Saturday that memory was in the forefront of my mind, so when a player near the goal line came close to the sideline where I was I immediately dropped the pole and stepped aside. Isn't it amazing how events from the past can affect our behavior today!
This is true for so many events from our past. Often the pain in our hearts is never truly dealt with and we merely mask it with the "things" of life. But their effects are still very evident in the way we live our lives. A statement from my morning devotional was this: "As we confide in our [Heavenly] Father, we can experience peace and the beginning of healing for our wounded hearts."
God desires to bring healing to our lives... Maybe it's time to "have a little talk with Jesus" as the old hymn says.
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