When the Going Gets Tough, ...

    
You may not want to be resilient, you may want to give up the fight, you may even believe that your efforts won't matter because the sea that lies in front of you is too broad for you to cross. Remember the splitting of the Red Sea back in Exodus 14?  Don't give up! Too much depends on you, your life has a purpose and if you give up on life that purpose may never be fulfilled. When the pie looks too big, take one more bite, help is on the way!
     Back to our resilient basketball example. We determined that the key to the level of bouncing back was dependent on the amount of energy "strength" that was provided as the ball was forced towards the ground. In life how resilient we are, how well we bounce back, also depends on the energy we have behind us that supports us when we are "bouncing back". Job in the Bible is an excellent example of showing resiliency and bouncing back. Job lost everything and honestly the only thing that can be attributed to Job continuing to move forward was his faith in God. Literally, Job had nothing left, his family, his home, his livestock, even his good health was gone and everyone around him said, "Wow Job, God has apparently dropped you, why don't you just go ahead and curse Him and try to figure out a way just to die." But Job believed that when the going gets tough, the tough get going! He wouldn't give up on God, Job actually placed his full faith in God and in Job 17:9 he said, "The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger." That's what we must do when it looks like the road is too long in front of us, we have to keep moving forward, keep pushing through your challenges in life.
     In closing today, I would like to share one of my favorite verses God surely provided to Paul, His servant, in II Corinthians 4:8-9 "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; We are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed." Why are we not destroyed when we are cast down? Because "He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world"
I John 4:4. We bounce back because we have faith, which provides us with the ability to get going when the going gets tough. Our faith is that same strength that provides the energy to bounce back up just like the basketball each time it is forced downward to its temporary destination. If you are having a hard time in life right now, if you just don't feel like you have the energy to bounce back again, then it may be that you need some of that "keep going" energy that I just described. It is readily available and there is an endless supply waiting on you! Seek Him and be filled with His goodness, mercy, and resiliency!
Keep up the good fight!
Coach Carter

Zig, Zag, Zoom!

     
As I was sitting outside this morning, preparing my mind for some time in prayer and meditation, I paused momentarily just to take in the calm of the morning and the beauty of God's creation. I am blessed to be surrounded by a forest of trees which provides an abundance of wildlife and a vast collection of plants, wildflowers, and skyward seeking trees. Many times, I get in such a hurry that I fail to take in the beauty of this scene which is so readily available to me each and every day. Mental note: "Take more time to do nothing more than look around and say Thank You!" To extenuate this point, one of my tiny hummingbird friends buzzed onto the scene this morning wanting to get his fill of the nectar that I have provided for my zippy guests. Caught in the moment of "looking around" my mind started pondering the actions of my fine, feathered friend and his hurried actions that he displays in his hunt for nourishment.
     If you've ever had the chance to watch a hummingbird as it approaches a feeder then you know how amazing the spectacle actually is. Hummingbirds beat their wings up to 70 beats per second and over 1,000 beats in a single minute. They dash to the right, they zig to the left, back and forth never circling an object but more acting like a lazar they dart right and left, back and forth until they reach what must appear to be a safe approach. Obviously, based on the size of this tiny creature, caution and apprehension collect a great deal of this bird's thought processes each flap of his wings. When the birds first migrate back to our back porch it is apparent that the trust issue is at the forefront of their attention. The zipping, zigging, and zagging back and forth is all done in the context of assuring that this is a safe area to visit. In the early stages the hummingbirds won't rest on the perches but instead dangle suspended in air taking in the nectar with their pointy beaks. As days turn into weeks the tiny hummingbirds eventually begin to trust that we aren't going to be a threat and their buzzing around results in the tiny birds resting their wings and enjoying a more leisurely breakfast meal. It is rewarding and comforting to me to observe this band of hummers come to a place of trust to the point that they will rest and sup with us almost at arms grasp.
      Our relationship with God can be compared to this episode in nature. We rush here and we zip there giving little time to the things in life that are of real significance. We hold back and hold out on placing our trust and faith in our Creator. I'm not sure if it is fear, but I am certain it is the fear of trusting that God's love for us is actually possible. Our mind races back and forth just like the hummingbird, "How could a God love me when I have done all that I have done in life?", or "How is it possible that God knows everything and controls all of creation?" Or even "How can I trust a God that I can't see to help me in the condition my life is in right now?" I can literally see the hummingbird in your mind darting from one perspective to the other end of the spectrum attempting to reason and find a safe space to land! Proverbs 3:5-6 promises this "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths."
     In our quest for a safe place to land, safety can only be found in trust. Finding nourishment for our thirsty soul is found in trusting that the God that made you, is the same God that will be with you in all of life's struggles, dangers, pitfalls, and tragedies. He will provide nourishment for your mind, soul, and body when you make the decision to trust in Him. Will the dangers of life disappear suddenly when you make this commitment of faith? Although possible, probably not, but just as the hummingbird begins to rest on the perch of our bird feeder, you too will begin to trust in the Lord and take rest in the comforting peace that is only possible in Him.

Coach Carter

Let's Hear It for the Underdog

    
As a coach, there is nothing that energizes me more than to be listed as the underdog in a competition. The overcomer in me kicks in and it's on when it comes time to compete. At all levels of sports- competition it's the same. In the Super Bowl the team that should have no chance to win is the very team that we all want to pull through to victory. When the odds are stacked against a team, and when that same team overcomes the odds makers, that's the stuff that Hollywood blockbuster movies are made. But how does that happen? When on paper all the stats point in one direction, the records are being set by the favorite, the prognosticators and critics alike are in agreement, but yet the underdog comes out and wins the game, how does that happen?
      Well according to the Bible, it has a great deal to do with time and chance. Ecclesiastes 9:11 tells us, 

"I have seen something else under the sun:

The race is not to the swift
    or the battle to the strong,
nor does food come to the wise
    or wealth to the brilliant
    or favor to the learned;
but time and chance happen to them all."

"So, you're telling me that the win isn't going to come to the stronger competitor, the more talented team, or the obviously front-runner on paper in the championship bout?" you may be asking. No, that's not what I'm proposing here, all I'm saying is that at the right time, with the right circumstances, under the right conditions time and chance will prevail. If this wasn't true then I guess Las Vegas would be out of business, that's why they play the game! So, am I proposing that all competitors pull back from practicing and preparing themselves to face their "Goliath"? Absolutely not. That is the essence of time and chance. It's kinda like if you aren't in the game, don't expect to win the game. 

     In all of the situations listed in Ecclesiastes 9:11 the victor is not always the one that would garner the most bets if people were looking at the odds. The fastest athlete on the track, the bigger, stronger boxer in the ring, the wisest, brightest, or most brilliant person is not guaranteed to come out on top. But why not? It just makes sense that if 9 out of 10 times I have already beaten the competition in the 400 meter run then I should be guaranteed a victory on the 10 time out as well. That's where time and chance enter the equation. That's why they run the race! The key here is that the underdog won't just win the race because he shows up either. On paper and with all past results the underdog has been beaten in our scenario. Then what makes the difference in this tenth trial? 

     I believe the apostle Paul sums the answer to that question up nicely in his motivational proclamation to the church in Corinth. Paul is using an analogy of running a race and he asks this question. "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Then he directs the people that to win they have to "Run in such a way as to get the prize". He finishes the analogy by giving the secret to success away to the people and to us today. Paul explains that to be ready for the competition he beats his body into submission, he makes himself a slave to the effort, he does all of this so that if and when his time comes, he will have the chance to succeed.  See I Corinthians 9:24-27. 

     Life is a competition, so many times in life we talk about running the race, being beaten out for that job promotion, facing struggles and losing time after time and again in our marriages, our careers, with our children, and in the face of disease or even death. But, time and time again we come out as the victors! Not always, no not even 9 out of 10 times as we mentioned above, yet we must strive forward. We must always continue to train, to fight for the opportunity to try one more time! If life's odds were the determining factor than we would face a hopeless battle when cancer enters the conversation. But that isn't the case, we have hope, and it is our job to fight the good fight and never lose sight of that hope that finds itself in the idea that "there's always a chance". 

     You may be the underdog, it may be that you only have a 10% chance of overcoming that obstacle, heck you may have a 1% percent chance, but you know what? You have a chance. In that one instance, it may just be your time, this may be your one chance to be the "Rocky" in your family. But, you can't ever give up. You can't ever give in, and you certainly won't overcome that mountain in front of you if you don't give it your best each and every day! I may not ever win when I face that giant in front of me, but I can promise you one thing. I'm going to give it my best each and every day of my life, I'm going to work as hard as I can, I'm going to train and learn as much as is possible, and I am going to be prepared when the stage is set and I face off in life's biggest battle. The odds may say I will lose, but I know there is always my time and my chance to prevail! 

Train your mind, body, soul, and spirit each day! Read more, pray more, worship and praise more! Get prepared your chance may be just around the corner! 

 Coach Carter

Bread & Water

"Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them." Isaiah 30:20

     Throughout history bread and water have been recognized as the bare bone essentials for survival. Prisoners in olden days were at times placed on bread and water rations as punishment, and as we see in today's scripture, Isaiah used the analogy in comparison to life's struggles and hardships. It's hard to imagine that afflictions and adversity are essentials for life, yet if you're faith is grounded in trust, then you must certainly have an understanding of what we are talking about in today's Flat Tire Ministries Thought for the Week.
     When Isaiah wrote this passage, the Israelites had been under Babylonian captivity for years and their situation was the epitome of adversity and affliction. Yet for Isaiah the message was clear, through all of this hardship, we will gain a better understanding about life and the lessons gained through the experience would serve them well going forward. What a challenge in life to look at the adversity you are going through and to be able to believe in your heart that you will come out on the other side of the situation better and stronger, kinda the "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" attitude. 
     I firmly believe that adversity is a tool for each of us. I know in my own life when I have faced some of my greatest challenges is when I have learned to persevere and hunker down to see things through to the other side of the matter. Every mountain has two sides and I am that bear that went over the mountain to see what was on the other side! It isn't easy enduring adversity nor is it a cakewalk to overcome afflictions such as aliments, injuries, or disease, yet believing, truly, honestly believing that your suffering is part of the process makes it a little more "bearable". I believe in my heart and soul that the strength I have gained through my not so positive experiences in life has fully equipped me to be the man I am still working on becoming today! When I started looking at adversity from that perspective my attitude and my outlook changed completely. In my mind, I no longer was suffering because I was a bad person or because I had the worst luck ever, but instead, I suffered so that I can become stronger so that I can help teach others about how the struggle is part of their training. My suffering isn't about me any longer, the life lessons I can share and teach my children, students, athletes, and others which in turn equips them to teach their children makes it all worthwhile and actually beneficial. If you are struggling, if you are hurting, God doesn't just take those things away just because you are experiencing pain or discomfort. That would actually rob you of what God has planned for the eventual outcome. I know and understand this is a hard concept to accept, but just as the knot tightens as it is pulled on, so too are we strengthened by life's bread of adversity and water of affliction. 
     How can you accept this? How can this be possible that a God that loves me would allow me to go through pain and suffering? The answer to that question is found in the life of His son, Jesus. Jesus was sent to earth with one assignment, die for the sins of mankind so that mankind could have life. Hope, founded in trust, created by faith. In John 6:35 Jesus explains, "I am the bread of life, he that comes to me shall never hunger, and he that believes on me shall never thirst." God may allow us to go through adversity, but it isn't because you are not loved or cared for, instead it is because Jesus is right there with you in that adversity and in that affliction. He is with you and He will see you through whatever you face in life. If God is the bread of life, and if we trust in Him we will never thirst or do without, then I am more than willing to face the challenges I must endure. God is with me, He will never leave me nor forsake me.  Read Hebrews 13:5. I stand confident in that promise and you can too! I will be praying for each of you that read this message today. My prayer is for strength to endure, courage to overcome, and wisdom to understand that being filled on God's bread and water will only help you to see things through and will only make you stronger for those you love and care.
Go out and change your world, what are you waiting on?

Coach Carter