Footblog #1: Following All Fired Up

Oh, here it comes. I can feel it in my veins. The excitement boiling, the 'any moment something's going to happen' feeling. It might still be too warm outside, and the leaves might not be turning, and it might be happening a bit earlier than usual BUT...

Football season is upon us.

My husband is a huge Notre Dame fan, so much so that a win or loss often dictates his mood on football Saturdays (and, from time to time, post-football Sundays). I'm a Michigan grad and my veins course with Maize & Blue blood. I'm also a yeller. I yell at the other team when they make me mad, I yell at my team when they're being stupid, I yell with glee when good things happen, and I yell at the coach when I could've done a better job. It might be the Hungarian temper, I'm not sure. It might just be that I'm so worked up I can't contain myself. Either way, it's hard to do any theatre during football season because sometimes I won't have a voice for the rest of the week.

There's nothing wrong with getting worked up over something when it's in the right spirit. I used to go to a very conservative church growing up. We didn't even applaud. Someone would give a heartfelt rendition of a beautiful song and when it was done, in the place where applause would normally be, there was a half-hearted scattering of 'amen's throughout the congregation. I never understood that... and after reading the bible several times, I still don't.

Psalm 100: "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the Earth..."
Psalm 47: "Clap your hands, all people! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!"
Psalm 149-150: Praise Him with : dancing, tambourine, lyre, loud crashing cymbals, strings, pipe, lute, etc...

It seems that, in this stadium of life, God is appreciative of our loud praise and our outbursts on His behalf, regardless of their volume or their shape. And why shouldn't we get fired up for Him the way we do for football? God's team is always going to win. It might not look like it sometimes to our untrained eye, or to our faithless or fickle fan's heart... but, in the end? It's going to be what looks like a come-from-behind victory to smash every winning record ever held. Stay tuned for more fun foot-blogs to come!

I'm on the sidelines cheering for you... just be sure you're listening to the Coach from the right team!

Stephanie Jean