Ending on a good note

Leaving on a good note rarely happens.

This is how Paul left the letter of 1 Corinthians 16:23-24…”The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.”

This past week I had a friend Matt Troyer move from his church to a new church where he felt God calling him to go. On Wednesday he had a going away festivity at the church. It was awesome to see a good group of people there to see him go. The church took up a collection for him. People stood up and had nice encouraging words for him and his family as they left. How often do we get to leave on a good note?

Most people don’t leave on a high note. I think of professional football and it’s rare someone leaves when they are on top of their game. Often they weren’t the star player and got cut. I remember stud Brian Urlacher and when he retired this past year in part no team really wanted him. Tim Tebow just wanted another chance to show he was a winner. I remember when Barry Sanders retired and thinking NO! He had good years left. It’s tough to leave on a positive note. I think of people that retire way past there prime or when someone gets laid off or cut and they were good employees. We often in life don’t always get to leave on a good note. Sometimes it’s within our control and sometimes it’s not.

Paul leaves his letter on a good note. He wrote the letter trying to work on conflict that came up in the church and had to say some harsh and be pretty blunt with the people. Through it all, he did it out of love. Through all the conflict and harsh reminders he had to give he reminded them he loved them.

When you leave do you leave on a good note? No matter what Hailee and I have this agreement. Whether we are fighting or not, when we leave each other whether it’s going to work or to pickup the kids from school to leave saying I love you and meaning it. You never know when it’s your time to go.

How can you leave on a good note? Whether it’s going to work/school when was the last time you told those close to you, you love them? Paul ends this letter on a good note. How are you going to leave?

Have a great day.

I got your back

There is no offense like a good defense.

When thinking of sports I thought this was dumb.

I always thought if you attacked more and put up a lot of points, you would be doing well.

The older I get the more I value a good defense.

The 1995 Detroit Lions were a lock for the playoffs and it was because of their offense.

Their QB Scott Mitchell had a touchdown to interception ratio of 32-12.  Barry Sanders rushed for 1,500 yards and Herman Moore and Brett Perriman each had over 100 catches on the year.

The offense was unstoppable….until the playoffs.

The Lions lost to the Eagles 10-7.

They were such a good offense but could only manage 7 points?

Defense matters.

There is something about protection and knowing someone is there to stop bad stuff from happening.

In football a good defense can make a world of difference and protect a team.

It goes beyond that in life.

We all need good protection, someone to watch our back, protect us from something bad happening.

Jesus started out John chapter 17 (Jesus longest section of scripture on prayer) on prayer and he continues on in the next section.

Listen to this part of prayer, talks about the disciples…

“I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.  My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”

They lived for Christ and as a result Christ lived for them.

In his prayer he asks for protection for them.

This doesn’t mean they wouldn’t face trials, temptations and tribulations, but that God would watch over them when bad stuff happens.

Who watches over you when bad stuff happens?

Do you try to handle it on your own?

Do you go to others for help?

Bad stuff happens in this world, this is why people have different types of insurance in case bad things do happen.

God has the ability to protect us in ways we don’t have in human ways.

I believe there have been multiple times in my life when something really bad should or could have happened and God is the only reason something worse didn’t happen.

How about you?

The Lions had a good offense but lacked the ability to protect the endzone more than the Eagles and lost.

Who protects and watches over you to make sure bad stuff doesn’t happen?

Imagine the different that can make.

Have a great day.