What it Means to Be Faithful

I have always felt that there was a deeper meaning of the word “faithful.” I just knew there had to be more to this term, than just showing up, or maintaining something. I have been called “faithful” before. I’ve always said “thank you.”

Football Fridays in Louisiana

Well, it’s back once again. Fridays filled with the excitement of 14-18 year old young men playing a sport not only for themselves, but for their parents, family and communities. It’s my favorite time of the year. I get to do what I absolutely love; being the chaplain for Acadiana High School. Every Friday, all day long, I will dawn my green and gold, and talk an extreme amount of trash to the fellow chaplains, especially if our teams are playing that particular Friday.

I love being there. Being able to walk through life with these young men, and and being a positive influence on them is exciting for me. And, also, letting them know that I’m their biggest fan on and off the field is exciting for them. Even though they know my name, they still call me “Preacher Dude.” Its funny, even the parents know my name, but they still call me “Preacher Dude.” I think that’s awesome.

Today, I helped some of the parents make sandwiches for the guys, and the president of the Booster Club shouts, “Hey preacher duuuuuude!” He then gave the hardest high five I think I’ve ever received in my life! Awesome.

That’s why I love football Fridays in Louisiana.

Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own

Tough….you think you’ve got the stuff. You’re telling me and anyone that you’re hard enough. You don’t have to put up a fight. You don’t have to always be right. Let me take some of the punches for you tonight. Listen to me now, I need to let you know, that you don’t have go it alone. And its you when I look in the mirror. And its you when I don’t pick up the phone. Sometimes you can’t make it on your own. We fight all the time, you and I. Its alright, we’re the same soul. I don’t need….I don’t need to hear you say that if we weren’t so alike, you’d like me a whole lot more. Listen to me now. I need to let you know that you don’t have to go it alone. And its you when I look in the mirror. And its you when I don’t pick up the phone. Sometimes you can’t make it on your own. I know that we don’t talk. I’m sick of it all. Can you hear me when I sing? You’re the reason I sing. You’re the reason the opera is in me. Hey now….I still gotta let you know….a house doesn’t make a home.  Don’t leave me here alone. And its you when I look in the mirror. And its you that makes it hard to let go. Sometimes you can’t make it on your own. Sometimes you can’t make it, the best you can do is to fake it. Sometimes you can’t make it on your own.

Bono wrote this song about his father. I like to listen to this song on bad days. Today wasn’t a bad day, but I popped my U2 mix cd in, and I started to just listen to the words. Lately, I feel like I have fought with God a lot. Not like when Jacob wrestled the angel, but just in my time with him. There has been a lot of disagreement on my part. But in all that, he says, “Let me take some of the punches for you tonight.” Even when I am sick of it all, he was beaten for me. He took all that for me. He took on the weight, the sin of the world for me, whether I like it or not. I could curse his name, but that still doesn’t change the fact that he did all that for me. No matter what, his intention, his love,  was, and still is the same! Even when the best I can do is to fake it, I am the reason he sings. I am the reason that the opera is in him. He sings over me. Its him when I look in the mirror. I can’t change, or run from the absolute that I am a direct reflection of the Father. When I hate what I see, I can’t change that its the same beautiful God that created me in his image. When I feel, or even want to live life alone, and just get by on my own gifting or personality, or even just being stubborn, he’s saying that I don’t have to. 

Sometimes I Can’t Make It On My Own.