Lately, it seems like everything in my life feels related to itself. My talks with my wife, my talks with my son Shawn at Vanderbilt rehabbing his torn ACL as a backup quarterback trying to get healthy enough to play this season. Talks with my newly married daughters Sarah and Shelby and even the talks with my friend Michael Thompson as he climbs the next mountain for his ministry with his newest book HEART OF A WARRIOR. The connection includes talks with Coach Steve Wilson about life and football and our upcoming book THE QB MENTOR, and it even extends to my hot yoga classes. They all seem to be speaking the same truths to me, over me, at me. I call it the “Bose effect" when the Lord is trying to drive a point home. It feels like He plays the same message through as many speakers in my life as you can imagine. Suffice it to say He has my attention.
The other day, Josephine our hot yoga instructor encouraged her students to "find your teacher" and she then asked, "is it this pose? Or sadness? Or joy? Or something else in your life?" I was curious as I contemplated that thought and began to sweat during the poses of the 75 minute session.
And then later that afternoon, I was on the phone with Coach Wilson and he quoted Coach Pep Hamilton, (probably his most famous football student, the current offensive coordinator for Andrew Luck and the NFL Colts) reminding me that "being a quarterback is a lifestyle, and it takes intense practice."
And later that evening, Michael said,
"You know, it is a way of life, to walk in the presence of the Lord, the creator, in every moment and every breath; and to trust and know HE is there with you. It is a practice and it takes practice, to live like that - from your heart and in love, no matter what situation you face."
The Bose effect. Speakers in my life all saying basically the same thing. Because they are all true. True is true. In big things and in small things, in good times and less good times. True is true.
For me, even on the worst days of energy-less fatigue from my disease, I still find joy and strength in the practice of living in faith and trust in the Lord and His plan for me and my family. I find peace to trust and just breathe in His love and His promises to me, not just for this lifetime, but for eternity. And for me, every day I think about eternity, given the lingering fatigue from this dog gone leukemia that never lets me totally forget that it lurks in my blood stream. But I have such joy in knowing that forever, what is true, no matter what today or tomorrow holds, I know what eternity holds. That is exciting to me.
When our yoga instructor said "find your teacher", I knew perfectly who my teacher and guide and counselor is and will be forever. The One who shows me the joy in the pose, in the moment, who instructs me on when to go farther and when to back down. I don’t need to look for my teacher any farther than my faith; every day, in every moment.
I love the quote, "know what the magician knows and then it’s not magic anymore.” Sometimes that is what I feel like sharing with so many friends and colleagues in life when they face difficult times and are discouraged or depressed or worried. To know what Christ knew and learn what he taught about love and faith, and then to live that way, as the essential “practice” of your life, well, that would change everything.
Amen and AMEN.