Guest Blog #4 (7-25-2011) By: Traci Barrera
*Disclaimer: This post was written two days before the lockout ended. *
When I sat down to brainstorm ideas for this blog post I wanted to put myself in Baron Batch’s shoes. As a couple days went by I began to realize that one of the few things we have in common is football; he likes to play it and I like to watch it…and yell at the TV while doing so. I debated about blogging about photography, but I can’t even make a Polaroid look good so that was a no go. Next attempt? Bowling. Well that wouldn’t work either, because last time I played my Grandma beat me. Ok so football it is, seemed like enough common ground for me. I had to dig deep for this one, because as much as I like football I am not a professional, I didn’t even play in high school…and well, I am a girl. I don’t even know what it’s like to get tackled, wait, yes I do I let my brother tackle me one day (bad life choice) but I for sure don’t know what it’s like to train, play and have it consume my life. I also do not know what it’s like to be apart of an NFL lockout. So I began to pray about this: “Lord, what is the story YOU want me to tell? I could go on and on about my interests, but these people don’t know me, and I could go on and on about Baron but what is the word you want spoken and heard in this moment?” And so it hit me, well God hit me with something, but not literally; He’s not like that. Our Christian walk is a lot like the NFL lockout. I know what you’re thinking: “Say what?” I ask that you hang in there, this isn’t one of those sermon analogies that comes at you from left field and leaves you more confused than you were when the sermon first began. This is legit stuff…or so I think. The great Jon Acuff once tweeted: “Sometimes God redeems your story by surrounding you with people who need to hear your past so it doesn't become their future.” So here is a chapter of my story, in hopes that it will not become your future.
Has there ever been a time in your life when you have allowed yourself to be locked out of your Christian walk? You know, that time you didn’t quite agree with the “terms” God placed in your life? I have, and for me it lasted about 4 years. I was young, in college and foolish. Isn’t that how every story starts out? It’s true though, I really was. I had just escaped the bubble I lived in for 13 years called “Private School”. Now I’m not hating on private school, I just didn’t know how to live life properly without my trusty polos, khakis and mandatory chapel services. I had grown accustom to “feel good” Christianity. I was taught how to make a better life for myself and if I was a good Christian I would be successful and happy. I locked myself out from a life of submission, discipleship and service; I dated who I wanted, spent money on whatever I wanted and went to church when it felt right. I didn’t drink, smoke or steal, so in my book I was golden. I found myself ignoring the tough commandments and even the great commission: “Go therefore and makes disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19) I was even ignoring the great “terms and agreements” Jesus gave us as followers: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24) I felt like I deserved better than to be exhausted from serving others, tight on money as result of tithing, and I didn’t think God would ever call me to be uncomfortable or in danger by sharing the Gospel with others. My prayer life became a time to strike up rules, bargains and compromises with God. My views on this “Christian thing” were selfish, ignorant and worst of all, comfortable.
It wasn’t until I was stripped of a lot of things I thought I deserved did I begin to see God’s redemptive work in my life. I was starting to live a life of struggle and hardship. I began to see a lot of things in my life slip away but the one thing that was so clear was God’s grace and forgiveness. I started visiting a new church and God reeled me back in with convicting sermons, worship that brought me to tears and community of believers that encouraged me to grow in my Christian walk. Suddenly the rules of which how I wanted to live my life didn’t matter. If there is one thing my own “lockout” taught me it was that while I was waiting for a better offer to come along I was missing out on a love I’ve never experienced, forgiveness like I’ve never known and an abundant source of grace and mercy.
I am not sure when this 2011 NFL lockout will end, how it will end or what terms and agreements will be made but I know how my story will end. It ends in hope because our God is faithful: “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16: 33) His mercies are new every morning and once you allow yourself to break free from your own “Christian lockout” and stop living life on your own terms, God will reveal to you the same promises He did for Abraham, Moses, and David. God allows us to be an active part of the Gospel, not because He needs us but because He loves us; we should view it as an honor instead of striking up our own set of agreements, rules and promises. We (myself included) all think we deserve a better job, more pay, and a comfortable lifestyle; it’s the American way. We think that we are too talented to abandon everything and live a life worthy of the calling that we have received (Ephesians 4:1). With that being said, don’t be like I was, sitting on the sidelines while all the other Christians did the hard work. God can strike up no better deal than the gift of salvation and redemption.
