Treat it All as Sacred

There was pure elation and joy among the Bulldog Faithful Saturday evening as the clock ticked to midnight and a New Year began. Unless one has been in seclusion at a monastery in Tibet, then one is aware that Ohio State field goal kicker Noah Ruggles shanked a game winning field goal at game’s end of the Peach Bowl sending Georgia to the National Championship with 42-41 win.
 
One kick, one simple kick, and joy is turned to sorrow and, sorrow turned to joy, depending on one’s perspective. Yet, it didn’t come down to one kick. In a one point game, every little thing made the difference. Sure, the play that didn’t get made at the game’s end is glaring, but it wasn’t the only play. Countless little things Saturday night made the difference. One thing, going different in one moment or another could have altered the outcome. I need not list them all but if any one of those things had happened differently the game might have been different. 
 
When I coached football I would instruct the lineman under my watch to not worry about winning the game, but to concentrate on the play that was to be run. I told them to concentrate only on winning that single play. At the end of the day, if we won more plays than the other team then winning the game would take care of itself. 
 
It’s a lot like life. One moment here and one moment there, moments that don’t seem that important at the time, can have a great impact. Perhaps, this is why Jesus reminded us of the importance of the little things. After all Jesus said, “Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much.” (Luke 16:10a) The little things in life add up to the big things. 
 
Fred Craddock once told a story which tells of his having to walk through a cemetery at night and wanting to avoid stepping on graves, many of which had no markers. He asked his mother how to tell what was sacred and what wasn’t. His mother said, “Treat it all as sacred.”
 
In this New Year let us treat it all as sacred. May we realize that in everything we do we are called to be faithful to who we are as followers of Jesus Christ.

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