I attended high school in the foothills of the Appalachians – actual red hills – in the tidy, North Mississippi town of Houlka. I still love my high school, because we had so much to offer… friends, family, a sense of community. Division 1A Basketball was our claim to fame. But one thing that we did not have was a football team and no homecoming in the 1980’s & 90’s. So, we would travel to other towns to watch football games and participate in their homecoming festivities.
My sister and I attended a football game in neighboring Oaktown, and I actually took a moment to try to understand the game. The stands were filled with folks bundled in overcoats, toboggan caps, and scarves. Aggressive words, accompanied by 30-degree smoke-filled breaths, filled my eyes and ears. “We keep getting slammed. He can’t connect. They’re killing us out here! Com-onnnnn coach!” The offensive plays were no
longer working. Oaktown was struggling… in a constant retreat rather than advancing.
I returned to my seat after making my 14th trip to the concession stand. This game was looking bad… approaching the buzzer with Oaktown down by a few points. Oaktown had possession of the ball. They lined up for the next play, which looked remarkably like the previous 10 failed plays. The long-limbed quarterback stood behind the line of scrimmage and yelled a play that I hadn’t heard before. Suddenly the play was in
action, but…wait…something was different. The offensive formation unfolded like a blossoming flower…with players moving in directions I had not seen before…
The quarterback called an audible! (a change in the offensive play called by the quarterback at the line of scrimmage)
The defense looked uncertain and confused, desperately trying to reach out to the Oaktown players like they were playing a game of tag. A running back pivoted off one of the tacklers, and BOOM! the quarterback connected. He was at the 60, then the 50, then the 20, then, oh my goodness, TOUCHDOWN!!! The crowd yelled and cheered and high-fived each other, while the running back did an endzone dance similar to Primetime Deion Sanders’… celebrating the team’s victory.
Just when I thought Oaktown was defeated, it all shifted… in an instant…without my knowledge of how or when it would happen… because of an audible… a secret audible.
There was a plan the whole time.
Life’s journey can bring challenging situations. Situations that shake you to your core, making you feel defeated or overwhelmed. These situations are not only unbelievable, but also seem undefeatable…
Just as Oaktown’s defeat appeared inevitable, life’s challenging situations can make defeat appear inevitable. Oaktown didn’t give up. Don’t you give up. Remember to trust God and His plan, because He is right in the game with you… calling an audible. He’s changing the play to throw the enemy off his game and to solidify your
win. The sudden shift in your favor often happens in an instant… often without your knowledge of how or when it would happen. But, IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN!
Our God has the winning play in His playbook the entire time.
Trust in Him… and His secret audible. He will come through. Then you will dance in victory… like Deion Sanders.
Isaiah 59:19b – “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.”
~Breck
