A Piece of Writing is Never Finished

I started re-reading Lord of the Rings and because I was reading on my kindle I ended up reading the bits at the beginning "Notes on the Text".  I usually just skip past introductions and forwards except in Lit class when we had to, or I could use it as a source for an essay.  But I didn't skip this one and I learned something new.  Tolkien was plagued by misprints (the editors 'corrected' his writing by changing dwarves to dwarfs and elvin to elfin, among others) and he rewrote vast parts of the book each time it was reprinted.  For over 10 years he rewrote parts of the novel (it is really one long book in 3 volumes, not a trilogy).  So with Tolkien as my example I decided to revise my last post.  I had written it quickly, trying to get it up before the game got too embarrassing.  So here is a revised version.  Sometimes revision comes quickly: cutting and slicing at unnecessary words; other times it is slow going, reading the sentences over and over hoping for inspiration on how to make it cohesive.  Usually the difference is whether I like the piece or not.  I didn’t particularly like this one, both because I rushed it and because we lost.  But I did find I answered the question differently after thinking about it more.

When I was a kid, Psalty the Singing Songbook sang to ‘do your best and let God do the rest’.  To my six year old self that meant making half my bed and letting God do the rest.  Obviously that didn’t work.  Now I understand it a little differently.  It is the paradox of knowing that God has given me the ability to accomplish something and also completely relying on Him for my strength, for without Him I am thoroughly inadiquate.  God does want us to do our best with what He has given us.  But He also promises to never leave us or forsake us.  

There have been a lot of comments about God not caring about football and that He has a lot more important things to do then help the Broncos win football games.  But is that really true? Does God care about football?  I pray before I go to work.  There are many things that try my patience as a teacher so every morning I pray for patience.  Patience for the children, for my co-workers, for myself when I make mistakes that seem inevitable.  Yes, God has given me compassion for children and talent to work with them; but I still need His help to get through a day sometimes.  Is Tebow praying before the game any different from me praying for patience before I go into school?  He is using his God given talent in the career he has chosen and praying for God to be glorified through it.  What could be more important to God than one of His children asking for His strength to walk out the path He has set?

Given that, I now say yes, God does care about football.  Because His creation is involved.  We are His creation and God cares about people.  He cares about Tim Tebow (Tom Brady too for that matter).  He loves Tim Tebow (and yes, Tom Brady too).  Not because they win or loose football games but because they are His creation.  He loves them just because.  Perhaps the more important thing God has to do than helping the Broncos win football games is reveal Himself to the high school quarterback who is hearing Tim Tebow glorify God.  God doesn’t leave Tim Tebow just because he steps on a football field.  God is his strength no matter what he is doing.

So before the game I prayed for Tebow.  I prayed that whether he wins or not he would watch his character most of all.  Win or loose that he would feel the love of Jesus.  That he would be able to focus and do his best when needed.  But most of all that win or loose, Jesus would be glorified.

Would God say He loves football?  No, He would say He loves you.