On the day before the Super Bowl, I was to attend a men’s meeting at our church and watch an AIA gathering of Christian players and coaches that was taking place in Miami earlier that morning (see “Words” #9). Someone had to be up early to get that meeting on tape so we could see it here on the west coast three hours later. Something went wrong with the dish and by 7AM the leaders of the men’s group were scrambling. They made a phone call to Steve Barnett to see if he had something from the Olympics he could share. At 7:20AM Steve called me to see if I had some football stuff they could use. I thought of some high school highlight films and then remembered a movie on a CD that I had just purchased the day before. There is information I need to add here to make this special story even better.

Back in September I had received an e-mail from a nephew stating he had seen a movie about a high school football team in Georgia and thought I’d enjoy it. We looked for it in our theaters but never saw it listed. We soon forgot about it. Then, on Thursday, my daughter called from Redding to tell me about a CD they had of a Christian high school and its football team. She told me I had to get it. On Friday I went by Berean Christian Book Store and purchased it. So, on Saturday I got it from the family room - still in the cellophane wrapper - and hustled to church. Just before 8AM, a number of us stood in the back of fellowship hall discussing what we could do. Around us were about 200 men eager to enjoy some hype about the Super Bowl. After considering the options, the leader decided that we would view this movie about a high school football team that none of us really knew anything about. He also asked if I would share some thoughts at the end. I agreed and we all sat down to eat. At 8:30AM, the leader got up and explained what had happened and that he hoped that the change in plans would not be too big a disappointment. At this point we began to watch “Facing the Giants”. I had been praying that the film would be good. I was afraid the story and the acting might be hokey. You know, “Christian school team that has had many losing seasons begins to really pray---wins championship.” As I watched, I began to think that it wasn’t so bad. The game footage was well done. Those who played the parts of the coaches were believable. But, all the problems - the “giants” - were defeated by the prayers of the good guys. Sickness was healed, the head coach kept his job and the team won the state championship. But, being or becoming a Christian does not solve every problem. At least, not in the hour and twenty minutes that it took to watch this movie.

As I thought of what to say when the movie ended, I remembered something I had read in Philip Yancey’s book, Prayer. This is the quote from page 87 that I was thinking of: “I cannot, nor can anyone, promise that prayer will solve all problems and eliminate all suffering. At the same time, I also know that Jesus commanded His followers to pray, certain it makes a difference in a world full of opposition to God’s will.”

So, this is what I tried to share with the believers and non-believers who were there on Saturday. I know some of you may not believe God even exists. Some may think prayer is like a good luck charm - probably doesn’t work, but nice to have just-in-case. And there are some here who have been followers of God for years, but have been praying about some problem or illness and either God doesn’t hear you or He doesn’t care or, worst of all, He is powerless to help you. Others have prayed and received “answers” many times. This morning, many men prayed that God would solve the problem we faced. It seems that a very good solution came to us. I believe that a good and loving God provided for our need. “Praise you, Lord!”, “Thank you, Jesus!?” BUT!!! If God had not provided an answer to our problem and the men were unhappy and disappointed - God would still be good!

Here is what I think is so important. In the movie, the situations that were bad began to get better when people started to admit their lack of ability to make changes, began to surrender everything they had and were to God, and to ask Him to reveal His plan for them and they would do they very best they could to honor God no matter what the outcome. My experience has been that when I stop praying for what I want for myself and instead “Seek first the Kingdom of God” that “all the things I need will be provided for me” (Matthew 6:33). I told the men that believing this was especially difficult for me when my five year old granddaughter was ill with cancer in 1989. Thousands of friends and family prayed that she would be healed. She did die. And I cried during part of each day for over two years after that. However, Chelsea asked me to promise before she went to heaven that I would tell each team I coached about Jesus and not just teach them to play football. I have done that and I know of at least one young man who committed his life to the Lord as a result of that story.

“All things work together for good, to them that love God and are called according to His purposes” (Romans 8:28). We must come to the place where we believe that God is not good because He gives us what we want - championships, Super Bowl wins, good health, or whatever - but because He is good, period. Did God answer prayer at our meeting? I believe He did. And, I thank Him for letting me see His strong hand of blessing.

Coach Hitch