One of the most miraculous plays in NFL history occurred in the 1972 AFC Divisional Championship game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders. With 22 seconds remaining in the 4th quarter and no timeouts, the score was 7-6 Raiders. The quarterback led his team back onto the field for what was assumed to be one of the last plays of the game. The ball was snapped and the quarterback was immediately under pressure, so much that he had to throw a short pass to his running back rather than to a wide receiver. As soon as the running back got his hand on the ball, he was hit and knocked to the ground sending the ball backwards in the air for many yards. Just as the ball was about to hit the ground, the full back was there to grab it and run it in for a touchdown. Many of the announcers calling the game said that the catch was miraculous and the full back didn’t have to do anything but be right there because the ball went right to him. But no matter what the announcers said, that fullback had to work to run past all of the defenders into the end zone. In this scenario, we are the full back. In Ephesians 1:5-7, it says that “we are freely given grace and the forgiveness of our sins through Jesus,” but how often do we receive God’s gift of grace and do nothing with it? What if in that game the full back caught the ball and then decided he was tired of running and began walking? Or what if he just stood there and did nothing? God desires for us to receive His gifts of grace and forgiveness, and then to move forward and not be caught in the same old things. He wants us to grow and mature, and His grace and forgiveness are always there to stand us back up and brush us off when we fall.
Stay Strong and Carry On,
Carrington
