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Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as
though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that
the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you
are serving is Christ. (Colossians
3:23- 24 NLV). It’s the
week of Super Bowl XXXVII. I suppose I should be very excited about the
big game, however neither Tampa Bay nor the Oakland Raiders have captured
much of my attention this year. I have been noticing some of the spin-offs
from the Super Bowl though. In fact last night I was waiting for a
favorite program to air and caught about fifteen minutes of Emeril doing a
show called “Manly Man Tailgate Party.” I know that sounds really bad
for those who may not be familiar with Emeril! However, he is a chef who
does a cooking show and this particular episode was in the parking lot of
the Super Bowl. He is known for his outburst of “take it up another
notch!” When he said that in that setting, it starting me thinking about
some of the truly great people who never get the recognition that others
seem to get. For example,
you've probably never heard of Frosty Westerling. For the last 50 years
he's been winning football games in the shadows of obscurity. Lots of
them. His name is in the record books alongside Eddie Robinson, Bear
Bryant, Pop Warner, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Joe Paterno, Bobby Bowden and Tom
Osborne as the only collegiate coaches to win at least 250 games. For the
past 30 years Frosty's been the head football coach at Pacific Lutheran
University in Tacoma, Washington. During those 30 years his teams have
compiled a 253-58-5 record, appeared in eight title games and won four
national championships. In 2001 he led the Lutes to their first NCAA
Division III title. You won't see Frosty Westerling on Sports Center. His
team won't be on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Sparks Stadium, where
the Lutes play their home games, seats just 4500 fans and is owned by the
Puyallup School District. Despite coaching in a spotlight the equivalent
of a key chain flashlight, you won't find a more dedicated coach anywhere
in America. Not long ago, Frosty authored the book, "Make The Big
Time Where You Are." In it he describes eating at a Waffle House. He
ordered his eggs over-easy, his toast golden brown and his bacon crisp.
When his food arrived, it came exactly how he ordered it. Frosty was so
impressed by this attention to detail that he tipped not only the
waitress, but the cook too, who accepted the money almost in disbelief.
We may never make the record books of this earth, but there is a book in which our names have been written if we are believers. That ought to spur us to excellence in whatever we find ourselves doing. This morning’s reading helps us understand that our true employer is the Lord. That fact makes wherever life has led you truly the "big time"! Reevaluate your attitude toward the things that you do. Refocus your motivation toward them. Realize that the Lord knows what you are doing and keeps the only record that truly counts! Go ahead... “Take it up another notch!” |
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