Football has officially begun. For the last three or four weeks I've seen more field house than my own house!
This past week has been the first week that high school football can practice. As a middle school coach, I'm there throughout the whole practice. Our middle school staff takes the freshman team outside and practices with them. Yeah, here in Texas, many schools have indoor practice facilities. In Henderson, our indoor facility is not air conditioned. When you get used to it, it's not as bad as you might think.
So all these mornings out in the Texas heat got me to thinking. While we are outside, all we hope for is a little breeze or maybe even a big wind to blow through! When the wind doesn't blow, in Texas, it's sweltering hot. In East Texas, the humidity and heat index are usually sky high and add to the hotness. That wind is a hot commodity.
When the wind does blow, it's great. Usually it cools the sweat that's already on your arms and the rest of your body and creates a quasi-air conditioning.
This got me to thinking. When the wind's not there, in our minds, we may freak out a little bit. "It's so hot, I'm gonna die!"
Don't lie, you've probably said it when you step out into the summer heat.
In our waiting for the wind's deliverance from the heat, I think that we are giving ourselves a real life picture of our life in Christ.
How many times do we experience "heat" in our lives? If you answered none, you'll need to read my next post on lying. If you have seen some tough times or a trial roll through your life, you know the "heat" that I speak of.
Our lives are just like that football field, even at 7:15 in the morning, it's hot! Sometimes, you may feel like there's no relief in sight. You might be like Blue from Remember the Titans.
Yeah, you remember. Blue Stanton asks Coach Boone for water. It's hot, the boys need some water. Well, they get the water, after they go through some adversity, if you will.
But no doubt, even in the between times, between the water breaks, the wind could blow. Some of the time, that wind doesn't blow. Sometimes you ask God for some rain, or to heal your father's cancer, or perform the great miracle or something else. What happens when that wind doesn't blow? What happens when God doesn't work things out the way you'd hoped?
What happens?
One thing is for sure, God does not go anywhere. He doesn't, for believers, we are in the palm of His hand all the time. There are times we don't feel it, but He may be waiting, seeing our reaction. Do we keep our faith in Him? Or, do we wallow in self-pity and turn away from Him?
Colossians 2 tells us we are to be rooted in Christ and built up by Him. Our faith has a basis, we should act like it. The problem is, we haven't rooted ourselves and when the times get rough, or "hot," we lose it. God calls us to firm up our faith in Him.
That means, even when we don't feel Him.
It is, standing out in the sweltering heat, and waiting for the wind. Standing in the middle of your trial, holding out for the deliverance of God. Wandering in the desert for forty years, until finally you're lead to the Promised Land (see Exodus). Living in bondage in a country that is not your own, until God moves you out (Israel in Babylonian exile). Sitting in the darkness of a lions' den, waiting to be devoured, but their mouths have been closed (Daniel).Losing your family and everything you own, yet still praising God and awaiting His rescue (Job). Going into the depths of the worst part of town to find your wife and deliver her from prostitution, because that's what God told you to do (Hosea).
So what do the scriptures tell us to do when the wind is not blowing?
Wait.
