Last Friday I ventured out with three of my kids and a few others from the neighborhood to the Carolina Hurricanes game (woot-woot). It was a general admission game so we hiked in from the parking lot passing all the tailgaters with fancy setups that lacked for nothing. (large TVs, grills you name it) The arena was packed so we climbed up all the stairs to the "nose bleed" section. The kids didn't mind and it was the wow factor of being so high at first. The game was slow initially and the Canes scored in the last few seconds of the 2 period. The kids started to slouch in the seats with their knees in their shirts watching the game with a little less enthusiasm than when we arrived. We decided to take a bathroom break before the 3rd period and went back into the arena on the bottom level where we found seats closer to the ice. The atmosphere was different it didn't seem as cold, it was louder and more exciting. There were strangers slapping your hand during a goal and the kids danced around and cheered. Just out of curiosity I glanced back at our original seats wondering if it was colder and less exciting up there. My observation proved correct, it seemed the people in the "nose bleed" section didn't appear to be IN the game at all, just watching.
I just couldn't help but think that I had once been in the "nose bleed" section in my spiritual journey. It's not about being on the outside of the arena tailgating, or just watching from far off, its about being IN the game. When I accepted Christ as my Savior, I was no longer camped out on the outside or stuck way up in the stands. Asking forgiveness for our sin and having a personal relationship with Christ is our ticket to get IN the game. No longer did I have to be like the people that were tailgating on the outside having all the comforts but never experiencing the action up close. It took the work of Jesus on the cross to get me into the game. All I had to do was join the team.
Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8, Ephesians 2:8-9, John 5:24
 |
| Carolina Huricanes "nose bleed section" |
 |
| nose bleed section |
bathroom break
New seats close to the action
Final Score Hurricanes 2 Thrashers1
Closer to the action also brings it closer to the heart.
ReplyDeleteIt's 3:30am and I'm winding down from work (I got home just a bit ago! And I'm so glad I decided to check out your blog tonight. I needed to read that! I've been overwhelmed, tired, and discouraged... but reading this reminded me that I have so much more to be thankful for than just what's on my plate at the present time. It's BIGGER... so much BIGGER than we can see when we're just living to get by. And the songs you've incorporated into the blog are so inspirational, it pulled me right back to center! Thanks so much for all your hard work on this piece. God is definitely using you to touch lives farther than an arm's length :) Love you!
ReplyDeleteKelly Morriosn