I watched some of the Patriots-Bengals football game Sunday night. I missed the part where the New England Patriots cheerleaders all put on the number 75 Cincinnati Bengals jerseys. You read that right: The cheerleaders for one team all put on the opposing team’s jerseys. Devon Still wears number 75 for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Let me explain. Earlier this summer when the Bengals had to decide who was going to be on their team after the pre-season, Devon Still did not make the team. The Bengals knew that Still’s four year old daughter had stage 4 neuroblastoma so they signed him to the practice squad so he and his family could continue to receive health insurance. The practice squad doesn’t get to play with the team on game day, but does practice with the team. In addition, last month the Bengals started donating all proceeds from the sale of Still’s jersey to the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Still’s daughter had surgery a little over a week ago and the prognosis sounds good.
The Bengals moved him to the 53 man roster and he got to travel to New England for the game Sunday night. Naturally, he cried when the Patriots played a video honoring his daughter and other children battling cancer and saw all the other team’s cheerleaders in his jersey.
It’s a reminder to put things in perspective and a reminder that some things that are more important than other things. The life of a four year old is more important than a football game, even an NFL game. It’s pretty important that I attend the church meetings tonight, but there are things more important than the church meetings. It’s pretty important that we will be distributing food at our food pantry today, but there are things more important than our church distributing food.
I tell people all the time that the primary and most important reason I am a pastor is to see people saved “by grace through faith” in Jesus Christ. Do I still get caught up in the politics of the church? Unfortunately, I sometimes do and am sometimes forced to. Do I visit the sick when they go to the hospital for surgeries and ER visits? Yes, as much as I can (and whenever I know about it). Diane, Adam, and I prepare enough food and desserts every Wednesday night for about 100 people. I type up a bulletin every week for church, I listen to people in my home and in my office who need to talk, I go to as many of the community events as I can, and the list goes on. But nothing is more important than seeing people forgiven by God through the sacrifice on the cross of Jesus. One day, each of us will leave this world and all the things that seemed so important here. And the only thing that will matter then is where we stand with Jesus. That will be one time we won’t want the opposing team’s jersey on! 😉
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Scott Knowlton's Blog 