Working to Win

Working to Win
By Brenda Black

Towering teenagers quietly walked onto the basketball court a full hour before the national championship game. The long white pin stripe down the side of their black warm-up suits accentuated each players lean and lengthy stature. They moved through stretches and drills in unison, barely uttering a word. Solemn faces clarified the serious business ahead.

With admirable athleticism, these 15 to 18 year old boys demonstrated their preparedness for a man's high-speed game that would demand quick thinking, grit and grace. As they moved through their drills with fluid strides and accuracy, their coach stood calmly to the side, offering instruction. He watched with pleasure as the young gentlemen carried out his commands.

Their contenders arrived ten minutes before tip-off, scrambling into jerseys as they haphazardly took one end of the court and rushed through some individual warm-ups. They sauntered in as a pack, chattering and seemingly indifferent to their tardiness.

Each team was equally talented. All the players were remarkable athletes and good sports. Though evenly matched in ability, I found myself cheering for the team that honored the privilege of that moment. The game began a full fifteen minutes late thanks to the dawdling team as thousands of spectators fidgeted in their seats.

In the end, a mere couple of points transformed game faces into broad grins when the tall team in black took home the trophy, title and deserved respect from a crowd of cheering fans.

Some would contend the better team won. Others would vow that a little more time may have swayed the scoreboard the opposite direction. I believe it was justice plain and simple. The team that honored the committee, respected the audience and applied diligence, won the championship.

True winners are just as obvious in the workforce. As more and more folks face unemployment, the competition grows fierce for fewer paying positions. This summer, out-of-work managers may be filling out applications right next to the freckle-faced teen trying to hire on at the local convenience store or theme park. Who will the boss hire and on what will he base his criteria? I'd like to think that quality will count once again. I would hope that dependability and responsibility would be valued and justly compensated.

While so many scramble for their free handouts and think society owes it to them, there are those who admirably still demonstrate a strong work ethic. Some still strive to be creative and productive even when unexpected lay-offs and company closures push them out the door. Their regard for diligence has earned them the respect they deserve and I pray they will draw on that during these difficult times.

In this age of entitlement, true champions in the labor force stand out. They show up on time. They work hard. They listen to their superiors and cooperate with fellow employees. And they take the job seriously.

It's time to remember that what made our nation great were hard-working citizens, not bureaucracies and red tape. Dreams were built by undaunted drive, not a fairness policy. Homes and happiness were established by the hands of gifted craftsmen and pride. America's working class once again needs to see the benefits and satisfaction for a job well done rather than wait for charity. It's time to think outside the box, discover ways to survive and thrive by using our untapped talents instead of withering from laziness and indifference.

Whether we win or lose in this economic clash is based on how we respect the privilege of employment and how we apply ourselves to the game. Made in America needs to mean something again. May the Lord bless those who are willing to do their best and supply all their needs. They are the true champions who will make our country great again.

Football, Faith and Footprints

By Brenda Black


I heard the name from sports commentators throughout the National Championship Game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the University of Florida. I had not paid much attention to the Heisman winning quarterback since my alma mater's Chase Daniel lost the 2007 bid. Yet, I found myself enamored with the onslaught of compliments toward the iconic leader of the Florida Gators, Tim Tebow, each time they mentioned his name. Because of this impressive student, God received more credit in a three hour football contest and pre-game show, than in an entire year of broadcast on network t.v. My hat's off to Tebow for his exemplary reputation and my heart is warmed by his story that reveals the Lord 's amazing touch in his life.

The 6-3, 240 pound dynamo helped deliver answers to Gator prayers with the 2008 national title, but his performance last week doesn't hold a candle to the miracle God performed in his life off the field. Tebow never would have been born, if his mother, Pam, would have listened to the doctor who advised her to abort in order to survive amoebic dysentery. She contracted the illness while serving alongside her husband, Bob, as missionaries in the Philippines in 1987. They prayed instead. And 22 years later his life is a living witness.

Just as this rising star gains more and more opportunity to share his faith with sports fans, another God-fearing football notable is stepping off the field. Coach Tony Dungy leaves a big faith-in-action footprint to fill. His genuine Christianity is already documented in a hardback book, while Tebow's total impact remains unwritten. But where the young and old football heroes merge is in their desire to make a difference somewhere other than between two goalposts.

Tebow spends his summers ministering to orphans and the impoverished. He visits the imprisoned and offers them Christ. Dungy has a desire to reach young men for the Lord and help them learn how to be godly fathers for it is his own dad's positive Christian influence that Dungy admires most.

I know of yet another man, Brady Black, who is playing in the game of his life and winning the respect and admiration of thousands for his faithful witness. He once played football and is still a huge fan, but the real contest is being played not in a stadium, but in a hospital in Texas and in the body of his little boy. One day, Brady's son will carry the torch of Christian testimony because of such great faith in a God who delivers miracles. Because of his parent's prayers, my great-nephew, Kobe, will grow to know about the miraculous touch of the Lord. And who knows...maybe some day, the commentary on his life will convey great respect when his parents' faith becomes his own. And the story written will tell of his far-reaching impact on the world.

That's what happens when we put faith in action. We leave a legacy and we lead others to the Lord. I know God is getting the credit he deserves every time I hear Kobe's name and I watch miracles take place. God's gracious answers to prayer will always be bigger than a national championship. These three men know that full well.


**Note – Kobe is four years old and recuperating from three successive surgeries in the past two months to remove thyroid cancerous tumors including one on the brain. Each procedure has produced miraculous results and rapid resiliency. Radiation therapy is scheduled in February to eradicate any remaining cancer cells. To learn more about Kobe's journey and God's touch, visit http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kobeblack Thank you so much for the loving prayers lifted for Kobe. You are part of the miracle.