I love me some Friday Night Football.
To be specific, I love me some Independence High School Friday Night Football.
Allow me to set the scene for you:
- Four hours before the game, it is evident that our school has turned tailgating into an art form. We marinade our steaks, grill savory vegetable-and-shrimp skewers, stir up some mean chili and make enough of everything to go around.
- Two hours before the game, spirit paint is taken out and everyone starts "paintin' up" for the team. Not a face is left untouched.
- One hour before the game, music is blasting, adrenaline pumping and the student fans are squishing into the stadium. Noisemakers and drums are distributed. Everyone watches out for the team to come in. Then, we hear an all-too-familiar voice bellow,
"Let's hear it for YOOOOUUUURRR INDEPENDENCE EAGLES!!!"
The students are jumping. Cheering. You can literally feel the bleacher stands dip beneath your feet.
Once the game starts, everything is a blur. There are cheers, chants, songs and even dancing. The focus is on the team and only the team.
Because when those Friday night lights kick on, suddenly everyone in the stands is family.
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So as I sit here on the first non-football Friday of the school year and reminisce at the greatness that is tailgate season, I begin to wonder,
"What would life be like if our youth group could be as dedicated, as passionate, as loving, as UNITED our football fans?"
Then, a certain prayer comes to mind. One that Christ himself prayed, and one that I want to echo today:
"I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me" (John 17:21-23 NLT).
I pray our youth group would begin to pull together and become a unified family. I pray that in these weeks leading up to Winter Retreat, we would gather and commit to preparing ourselves for what God has to do, just as fans get ready for the big game. I pray that in that unity - that love - that we have for God and for one another, others can't help but be blessed.
Nina Coyle
3 comments:
Nina,
You chose the perfect passage, picked the perfect picture, and painted a vision with your words. Thank you for inspiring us to unite together tonight! I pray this dream of yours becomes the heartbeat of our youth group!
love the visual...you paint such an incredible picture with you words as well!
haha...funny that i just wrote the above and glanced at what heather wrote...scarey, but i'm leaving it!!!
keep on believing (you can hear the song in your head now right?)
ummm...brookyln, dear - i believe the song is, "don't stop believin'"
;)
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