How to really make a mess

For those who know me, you know I LOVE football season. If I weren't in ministry, I'd probably be in sports journalism covering a football team somewhere. Nevertheless, I see athletics as a metaphor for life in many ways. Success are hard-fought. Victories are short-lived. Hard work makes a difference. Little things make the difference. Everyone must be like-minded and focused or mistakes come often and quickly. A prime example was yesterday's Cleveland Browns game. The Browns are not very good and it shows. On one particular play, they were penalized four times. That means at least four different guys, individually, had to make a different mistake in the span of about twelve seconds. I'll let the referee speak for himself. The following was his call to the audience: "We have four fouls on the offense: illegal formation, offense, No. 56. That penalty is declined. Holding, No. 90, that penalty is declined. Holding, No. 35, that penalty will be enforced, 10 yards from the end of the kick. We had an ineligible downfield on the kick, that penalty is declined." Sounds more like a preseason game than a regular season. As I said, when you're not clear minded and focused. mistakes will hit and hit hard. Let's not follow that example.