I
woke up with this phrase in mind, ‘fumbling toward heaven.’ It didn’t seem to be connected with a dream or
anything – it just was there.
But
it got me thinking about football. A fumble is when someone on the opposite
team makes you drop the football and recovers it for their side. I am going to stretch this metaphor so run
with me on this one.
Jesus
is the football we carry through life tucked under our arm close to our
heart. We are advancing through the game
of life toward our goal: heaven. When certain
circumstances of everyday life dislodge Jesus from our heart and make us drop
the ball, how do we get it back? In the
second letter to Timothy St. Paul writes, ‘God did not give us a spirit of timidity,
but rather a spirit of power, and love and self-discipline.’
Relying
on the Spirit of Jesus we gain the power of the practice of self-discipline to
scoop up the ball of Love and continue to carry it to our final destination. If
we are called to be Jesus to each other and the world, then it shouldn’t be so
hard to stoop down to lift up Jesus, ourselves and one another.
Sometimes,
we feel like we drop the ball constantly but thank goodness we have fans to cheer
us on whether we are in possession of the ball or not. Who are our fans? Family and friends, co-workers, and all the angels
and saints are cheering us on! Not only are
they fans but also our team! They offer
prayers and lend support, especially when the everyday cares and set backs get
us down. In our most desperate hours, we
throw a ‘Hail Mary’ forward pass to our Lady and she is there to help us.
To
all eyes, Jesus’ death on a cross seemed like the biggest fumble ever. But those who gathered below his cross: his
Mother, John and Magdalene, believed and hoped in Jesus who came to save and
bring them to heaven. And we know their hope was not in vain.
So,
let us not be like Lucy who whips the football away just as Charlie Brown comes
up to kick it. Let us be like Charlie
Brown who, even though he fumbles, he always believes and hopes. Let us never ever give up hope. Let us continue to fumble our way to heaven
believing in Him who comes to save.
