Halftime

I remember halftime of the Nebraska – Missouri football game last fall. It was a Thursday night. It had rained three or four inches in Columbia that day. Nebraska’s offense had been anemic, at best, during the first half. The defense was playing well, but Nebraska trailed nine to nothing. Things didn’t look good.

At halftime, the Nebraska coaches and players must have done something right as far as planning and dreaming and motivation, because the Cornhuskers scored twenty-nine points in the second half and won twenty-nine to twelve. The team that was dominated became dominating. Because of the adjustments, the second half was much better than the first half.

Well, it’s halftime for me. I’ll be forty on February 2nd. The life insurance calculators have me living eighty years. So it’s time to go to the locker room, make a game plan, dream a little bit, get some inspiration, and then go play the second half. During the second half:

• I will not seek to be known as a good husband, father, and pastor. I will seek to know and to be known by my wife, boys, and people.
• I will spend more time relating to God through reading the Bible, praying, worshipping, and whatevering. Investing in growing this relationship has never been a waste of time. On the contrary, my time and energy spent with God has always been multiplied.
• My boys, ages 8 and 3, are trying to figure life out and I’m one of the two people who serve as their primary example. I will be a better example.
• I will listen more and talk less. I’ll seek to be more understanding of others and to be more interested in what God is doing in the lives of others.
• I will spend less time and energy trying to be successful and I will spend more time and energy being significant.
• I will be quicker to forgive during the second half. Others and myself.
• I will take more risks. I’d hate to get to the end of the game wondering what might have been.
• I will be myself and not who others want me to be or think I should be.
• I won’t beat myself up over mistakes I’ve made. Since I can’t change the past, I will learn from it and move on.
• I will be more encouraging of others. The words of encouragement I have spoken have been the best words to come out of my mouth.
• I will share my faith more actively. I would hate for anybody to miss out on the post game party.
• I will invest more time, energy, and resources in the next generation.
• I will spend more time and energy helping and creating systems that help the hurting, the marginalized, and the oppressed.
• I will spend more time with the people I love the most and enjoy the life I have remaining.

In Christ,

Craig