Glory to God

I had one of the most powerful spiritual experiences last night of my life. It all revolved around a fifth and sixth grade football team I have been helping to coach since back in August. When asked to help coach the team I made one request. I asked to be able to lead the team in devotions and prayer after every practice and before every game.

We finished the regular season with one loss and are playing in the championship game later today. I am so proud of these boys. When we started practicing temperatures soared as high as 105. In the past three months the boys have endured grueling workouts to test the mind as well as the body. They have flipped tractor tires, pushed sleds, endured wall sits, six inches, DeFranco complexes, planks, pushups, bear crawls and gushers. Gushers are running from sideline to sideline back and forth four times under a preset time.

When we finished our last practice on Thursday all the boys cut their times in half running gushers since we started the season. They have a mind to work but that is not the point of this.

About three weeks into the season we began breaking our pregame huddles and ended our practices with the chant, “GLORY TO GOD!” A few weeks ago we added a little twist. We start with a whisper and then gradually get louder ending our chant by jumping up and down and shouting, “GLORY TO GOD!” It is more than a chant. We have talked for weeks about playing for the glory of God. That has meant giving God our best and understanding the truth this whole season has not been about us but is about making much of God.

This all takes me back to last night. We gathered the boys on the eve of the championship game for an end of the year party. God put in my heart a couple of weeks ago to gather the boys on Friday night before the big game for two things. We ate and played but the main purpose of the evening was to watch the movie “Facing the Giants.” That movie is about a team who learned to play for the glory of God. The purpose of the evening was to inspire the boys and to remind them whom we play for.

Fascinated the boys were drawn into the movie. They were pretty pumped when it ended. I told them to get their shoes on and to join me outside in a circle. In the past this has not been good news for the boys. While circled around me we did some challenging exercises. I had other plans on this Friday night.

Once they got in the circle I told them we were going to do the most important exercise of the season. I told them we were going to call out to God in prayer. Those wonderful little athletes prayed one after the other. Their prayers were marked by maturity. Several told God they wanted to praise Him if we won and if we lost. Many of the boys prayed for our opponents. Some prayed against fear and others asked God for strength to keep getting up after getting hit.

I drank in that moment wanting it forever etched on my mind. I remember the breeze picking up several times as we made our way around that circle praying. I recall some of the prayers and echoing my agreement. The last boy to pray was my son. I will never forget that moment. When they finished I gathered them in tight and reminded them the next time we would break our huddle with that chant would be under the Saturday night lights at the Bridgeport Bulls High School Stadium.

We all bent over and in a whisper and started saying, “Glory to God. Glory to God. Glory to God.” By the time we got to the third one we raised our voices. At five times we jumped up and down and shouted our theme, “GLORY TO GOD! GLORY TO GOD! GLORY TO GOD!” The echoes drifted through the woods and across open pastures wafting up to God as a prayer and resolution.

That scene will be replayed in my mind for a long time to come. Over and over again I will relive it. You see, these boys have really bought into that truth. The team we are playing tomorrow is from Jacksboro. They have not been beaten all year long. They are the only team to have beaten us. They have not even been tested in a game this year. They are big, fast, and very physical. Our two teams have been the best in the league all year long but when we played them they dominated us.

Since that game back in the second week of the season our guys have been focused. We have studied the scriptures. We have prayed through injuries and illnesses. We have pointed all the focus of our team to God.

I intentionally wrote this before the game not knowing the outcome. I think God is up to something with these boys. I do not know who will win or what the final score will be. Honestly, in the bigger scheme it does not matter. These boys have already learned valuable life lessons. When a parent from an opposing team made a racist comment to our right guard after a game he calmly looked at this parent and commented, “I am praying for you.” That is character.

These young men have learned to push their bodies and minds past limitations and barriers they thought were impossible to surpass. They have come to know God. Some of these boys never go to church, so we had a little church after every practice and before every game. I am proud to be associated with these young players.

I have told them I would not pray God help us win because He has followers in Jacksboro on the other team too. One of our guys prayed that very thing last night. I do not know who will get the championship later tonight. I can tell you one thing for sure. The Paradise Black team will play for the glory of God.