I love underdogs.  Who doesn’t? Cheering for the underdog is a national pastime. One of my favorite movies is Rudy, which could possibly be the greatest underdog story ever.

Recently I read a story about Maurice Clarett attempting a comeback into professional football.  If you aren’t familiar with Maurice, here is a refresher:

Clarett, a former Mr. Football in Ohio, started for the Buckeyes as a freshman and quickly asserted himself as one of the premier running backs in the country. He rushed for 1,237 yards in 2002, helping Ohio State to its first national championship in 34 years.

But he was ruled ineligible the following year for taking special benefits worth thousands of dollars. He sued to enter the NFL draft early, before he was out of high school for three years, but lost in court.

After he was eventually drafted by the Broncos, he was cut before the season started. Then, in September 2006, he pleaded guilty to having a hidden gun in his sport utility vehicle and holding up two people outside a bar.

Maurice did his time in prison and then did 4 1/2 months in a transition house.  Now he wants a shot at his passion again.  He wants to play football.  He’s stayed in shape and if he can prove he has his head on straight, there is a team in the United Football League that wants to give him a tryout.

I hope he makes it.  I even hope he makes it back to the NFL and is successful.  Call me crazy, but I love the underdog.  He paid the price for his mistakes and deserves another shot.

Why is it so easy for us to cheer for sports underdogs, but not ministry underdogs?

A close friend and mentor of mine, Justin Davis, was exactly that. He was a successful pastor in a church he started and then had an affair.

Let me guess.  Your heart didn’t flutter with excitement at the thought of him pastoring again did it?  Justin’s comeback journey was painful and his marriage went through the most intense refinement possible… and it worked.

The underdog, who most weren’t cheering for, is now a campus pastor and on the teaching team at Cross Point Community Church.  The journey isn’t over though.  He wants others to learn from his experience and has started Refine Our Marriage.

I know most of my readers aren’t in that season of life, but one day you will be.  We can still take away a lot from their story.  I know that I have.  The main thing that keeps sticking out to me is this:  I have 54 days before I will be married and I am 100% sure that Justin loved Trisha just as much as I love Amy 54 days before their wedding.

I am not above anything.  This isn’t a “this can’t happen to me” scenario.  I am so thankful for the wisdom that their story has spoken into my life and you will be too.

I was recently forced to make a decision.  A very important one.  One that will change my life.  While I am not ready just yet to discuss what that decision was, I definitely learned something through the process.

I hear a lot of people talking about “God’s will.”  It’s a church buzzword that sold millions of books.  It’s also a terrifying thought to Christians for them to not be inside God’s will.  I remember pleading with God to reveal his will to me last year.  It was a scary thing and that’s when it becomes a problem.

“Show me your will for my life! Please. I’m ready. Show me.”

That’s not a bad prayer, but what happens after you say amen?  Is there action?  Or are you paralyzed with fear to make a decisions because of not knowing 100% if it’s God’s will?

The decision I was faced with was scary.  It could have become terrifying, but guess what?  I knew that the choices were both God’s will.  There wasn’t a wrong choice for me to make.  I just needed to make one.

The reason?  I gave up authorship of my life a while back.  God’s will for my life is to enter into a relationship with him through his Son’s sacrifice and then spend my life connecting to God through the passions that were placed in me by loving others. (DISCLAIMER – For the theologically advanced – I am not saying this is the only thing needed in spiritual maturity.)

• Have a passion for food?  Savor every bite with the company of friends or even strangers.  Allow that passion to convey love to others.
• Passionate about tech support?  Well then you are a nerd, but offer that support in a way that leaves people as excited about life as you are about a new pocket protector.

Once this happens, then the decision making isn’t paralyzing because you already know God’s will for your life.  You can ask yourself which choice lines up better with your talents, passions and abilities?

Decisions aren’t always easy, but they always require action.  Being paralyzed with fear leads to non-action.  Having confidence in and living out God’s will for my life has set me free of the fear of a decision “not being in God’s will.”  It has lead to a more joyful life for myself and those around me.

One last little disclaimer – This does not mean that every decision leads to success, more money and fame.  This just means that I can face each situation knowing that the outcome will never result in God loving me any less.  (Which will never happen, but you would be surprised at what fear can do to a person.)

This morning (Tuesday, July 13th) I woke up at 3:30AM and headed to the airport to start my journey to the Dominican Republic.  I am leading a team from Cross Point to work on a church and feeding center that was started there 3 years ago.  The finishing touches will hopefully happen this week.  I think it’s pretty cool that us finishing the buildings doesn’t begin a ministry.  The ministry has been going on for years already and I can’t wait to hear the wisdom of the men and women who have dedicated their life to reaching the lost in the D.R.

Someone asked me Sunday night how they could specifically pray for me.  I responded with, “Pray that my life is ruined.  Pray that all my preconceived notions about this world are destroyed and that I will never be the same again.” I pray that for every person on this trip.  Every person came on this trip for different reasons. [..]

2 outs.  Bottom of the 9th. Armando Galarraga steps to the mound.  His heart is beating faster than it ever has before.  He only needs 1 more out to be perfect.  Before tonight he has been anything but perfect.  Armando has lost almost as many times as he has won.  He’s anything but perfect.  He’s never made the All-Star team and was even sent to the minor leagues earlier in the season.

2 outs.  Bottom of the 9th.  Jim Joyce resumes his position behind 1st base.  Jim has spent the last 23 years of his life saying “Safe” or “Out”.  He’s the umpire.  And he’s the best.  Jim has umpired in All-Star games, Playoff series and several World Series.  He was even named the best umpire by the players.  He was as close to perfect as an umpire can get, until June 2, 2010. [..]

This lesson is still going and it has to do with community groups.

I lead a small group.  I take that back, I lead a medium group. Well, it really could be called a large group and has been called a small church, but let’s just stick with “medium group.”  It all started one September afternoon after reading The Hole in our Gospel with a friend, we decided to start a small group. [..]