I saw Jesus at a Super Bowl Party

Great match-up between the Steelers and the Cardinals. The expected winner won. The expected loser put up a great fight. It was a battle. I enjoyed watching the game. But, it was a different experience for me. A group of our men went to the Knoxville Area Rescue Mission and watched the game with some of Knoxville’s homeless who are staying at the shelter. The party provided a perfect opportunity to get to know the men at the shelter. We swapped cheers and jeers about the game. But, we also talked about life. I learned about kids and grandkids and difficult life situations. And I learned about battles bigger than that of the super bowl. Battles for sobriety. Battles for recovery. Battles for peace of mind. Battles for forgiveness. Battles for Hope and Self-Esteem. One advantage for the Super Bowl is that there is a decisive winner after sixty minutes of play. The battles of life are a much greater test of endurance. Last night we offered a brief encouragement to dozens of men that battles are not won alone. The perfect ingredients for encouragement were mixed: Good Food, Honest Conversation, Time Together, Prayer and the Love of God. It was an opportunity to learn from the Master and follow His lead. When we reach out to others we put flesh on the Gospel.