After a foggy morning, the sun has come out and we have blue skies in our neck of the woods today.

Have to admit, it does put a spring in our step, I can do without the greyness of the fog.

Getting cold at night, mid-20’s now, for us that is getting cold, I know some of you are in the teens or even single digits at night now, and some of those places I remember well!

Still have some things to get done before winter sets in, hope to anyway.

Had a rather unique experience the other day.  I was parking at one of the stores and saw a couple of gentlemen, one my age and the other younger, turns out to be his son.  They were putting propane bottle in their rig, and having a bit of a time with it.

By the time I was parked and getting out they had it in the car.  The young man looks at me and says, “Hi, Sheriff.”  He then told me who he was, a bit of a problem a few years ago, and how he had straightened out.  Always good to hear.

Then, got home and had a phone call from Tennessee.  The caller was looking for Sheriff Labrousse – even pronounced it correctly.

Turned out he was reading my book and thought he would give me a call.  His mother married my Uncle after his first wife died of cancer, he was a stepson, and so a step cousin.  He was a Corrections officer and then a Chaplain for many prisons in the state.

You never know what surprises awaits you out there.  But it was kinda funny being addressed as Sheriff twice in one day.  The title carries even after leaving office, but few use it – I did for a while when I was selling real estate, I worked with a lot of banks and foreclosure companies because of my past work in the capacity.

As one said, “You know what is required; and that is a good feeling.”

I’ll accept that.

-------------------------------------------------

Colossians 3:22-24  KJV  “Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God;

²³ And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

²⁴ Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”

I was thinking this morning about what does ‘do it heartily’ actually means.

My favorite sport is football.  I don’t so much root for a team as I like to watch certain players play the game, Mariota from Tennessee used to play in Oregon, I like him.  Russell Wilson of the Seahawks, Tom Brady of the Patriots, Aaron Rodgers of the Packers - just to name a few, they are players that go far and beyond just being good, they are the best in their field.

But what was the process to get there?

There are thousands of high schools that have football programs in the United States.  Most of those players are not good enough to go into college football.

From what I have read there are 850 College football programs in the United States; the number of active players is about 80,000.  Most are not good enough to get to the Pros.

Of those 80,000, on any given year, a little over 16,000 are draft eligible.  Of that number only 253 get drafted, that doesn’t mean that others don’t get chosen, but most are drafted, not walk ons. 

Of that number I read where only about 1.5% or about 3 will actually become and remain pro-football players before they retire.

That seems like a low figure, but if we say 10%, 20% or even 50%, the number making it and staying in the game are few.

At any given time there are just under 1700 players on pro-football teams and not all of them play on a regular basis, game in and game out.

Of those that do, only a total of 8, including management and players that were passed over for years, can be inducted to the Pro-Football Hall of Fame in any given year; after they have been off the field for at least 5 years.

As a player goes higher up the ladder, from High School to the Pros, their intensity and skills make them some of the best in the business.  They perform on the field, to the very best of their ability, or they no longer play.

I know, how does that relate to these verses, especially since the vast majority of these men are not Christians?

Doing your very best at something doesn’t make you the best.  Thousands of young men, every year realize they will not go to the next level in football.

Just because they cannot play football doesn’t mean they give up their life.  They find something else to do, they become adults with jobs, raising families, helping others; productive members of society; and many times become the best at what they are doing.

We have all worked with some people that do just enough to get by, they are satisfied with mediocrity; they do what they have to do to continue working, and no more.

They can be very frustrating to those that work hard and, while they may not be the best employee, they work to the best of their abilities.

That is precisely what God asks of us.  We may feel we could be a Missionary, or Pastor a church or some other way of being paid to serve God in a full-time position.  But not everyone can be a Missionary, Pastor, teacher, or other ‘high profile’ position; that doesn’t mean that they can serve God.

If we are given a task, whether at work or at the church, God expects us to work as if we are working directly for HIM.

Put our hearts into it, no matter how menial the job may seem do the job to the best of your ability.

We are not in competition with someone else.  While it may be easy to compare our abilities or skills with someone – God doesn’t want us doing that.  He looks at the heart and if your heart is telling you that you are better than someone else with envy for the position, your heart is in the wrong place.

We need to do it heartedly, with a song of joy in our hearts that we are doing the work of our Lord, even if it may be cleaning out horse stalls or other less than desirable jobs.

He expects no less of us when we serve Him as part of the Body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:27-31  KJV  “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

²⁸ And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

²⁹ Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?

³⁰ Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

³¹ But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.”

The best gift for one person is not the same as the one for another, but if we have those gifts and both do our best - the results will be the best product available – whatever that may be.

It works in His Body, and in real life.

Later, Art (-: