January 6, 2014 (Monday)
John Fogerty sings a song about baseball that goes like this:
Oh, put me in, Coach –
I’m ready to play today.
Put me in, Coach –
I’m ready to play today.
A football player feels the same way.
In Saturday’s playoff game between New Orleans and Philadelphia, Keenan Lewis suffered a head injury. Taken to the sideline, he was tested for a concussion and taken out of the game. The problem for Lewis was watching his opponent on the field catch passes that led to scores. He wanted back in and demanded it. They took away his helmet and refused to let him back in. He begged. He pleaded. He approached trainers, players and even the coach, but it was “no go.” Observers could not help feeling for him, but he was finally escorted to the locker room, protesting all the way.
A player wants to play. That’s all there is to it.
One might compare church members to team members. But sometimes the problem for church leaders is quite different from that described above. The players don’t always want to get involved and see action with their fellow team members. Their song is not, “put me in,” but “DON’T put me in.”
That situation is sad, because involvement is the secret of being happy as a member. Perhaps our nightly prayer should be, “Put me in, coach. I’m ready to play today.”