What Julius Peppers Taught Me about Jesus

Since moving to the US, I have become (and am still becoming) an all-out football fan. I think it started because my first real year (i.e. full football season) here, the Carolina Panthers went to the super-bowl. Every sunday, I would sit and watch the Panthers play, mostly because there was never much else on.

Now I even have a jersey. It's a Julius Peppers black Panthers jersey. He is an awesome defensive end - playing in the pro-bowl this week. Just an incredible athlete.

What's even more incredible is that he had a pro-bowl season while having his hand and wrist bound up in a cast. Week in and week out he played with broken bones in his body. And he's a monster too . . . one of the most intimidating DEs out there. He just wanted to get in that game. Fact is, he'd get paid either way - he could have sat on the sidelines and complained about not being able to play, but didn't. When he COULD have sat back, he stayed in, because the goal of the team was more important than his comfort.

I guess the same is true of many athletes - footballers play after receiving Corisone shots in there muscles, just to take away the pain long enough to play the game.

I'm tired of people (and myself) opting for the bench instead of playing the game. We do it all the time. OOOOOOH, you hurt my feelings . . . wah wah boo hoo. Come on - we're built stronger than that. Don't we believe in the goal enough to really fight for it?

Or do we even know what the goal is?

Grace

Des