Third String

Tonight, Ohio State and Oregon will square off in the first ever College Football Playoff National championship.  Of course, being from a small town in Ohio, you can guess who I will be cheering for in my scarlet and gray attire.  One of the fun stories of this never-expected-to-be-there OSU team is the third string quarterback, Cardell Jones.  Jones is a redshirt sophomore who probably never dreamed he would be waking up this morning to play in a national championship game. Who would have thought that Jones would throw for 243 yards in the Buckeyes win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl? A third string quarterback????

It's always special to see individuals and teams overcome opinions and all odds to do something extraordinary. The third string guy represents the third one on the charts, the guy ready to come in if number one and two can't.  The third string guy knows others that are better than him, but he's working hard to improve his own skills. Of course, he always has to be on call, in case he gets the nod to go into the game.

Have you thought about what it's like to be a third string player? I know from experience that second string wasn't that fun! When was the last time you noticed somebody that was better than you at a task?  How did it feel? It's pretty easy to have a "third string" feeling about yourself.  At some point in life, you will be in a position to do something that makes you feel either inadequate or uncomfortable.  Maybe it's a new role at work. Staying with a spouse you want to leave. Dealing with a cancer diagnosis. Managing a huge volunteer initiative. Caring for an aging parent.  I get that one.  My mom is in a nursing home and just having setback after setback.  Even with a degree in gerontology, I feel inadequate in my role as a daughter. 

When feelings of inadequacy overwhelm me, I find myself returning to those who've gone before me in the Bible.  Their stories and ways they handled things cause me to reflect about how I handle stuff that comes my way..... like my insecurities. I remember Moses.  What a cool dude. Even at 80 years of age, when you'd think you'd know a thing or two, he felt inadequate. He had a ton of excuses.  When God asked him to serve, Moses responded, "Who am I that I should go?" (Exodus 3:11) He goes on to complain that the people won't listen to him nor believe him.(Exodus 4:1) He finally told God he was a poor speaker. (Exodus 4:10) You're kidding me? Moses?  He's the famous  guy in the Bible!

It's easy to make excuses for our inadequacies. But, one thing I've learned in life is that God wants to help us and actually BE our adequacy. If we're always comfortable at what we do, then WE get the glory.  But, when we're out of our comfort zone and trust God to pull us through, HE gets the glory.  We then begin to recognize that in our weakness, He is strong.  We learn a greater reason for living and that's to glorify God in our weaknesses. 

I don't know about you, but I want to take 2015 by storm.  I have some big and lofty goals, both personally and in my work, that apart from God, could never be reached.  I want to take the areas that I feel totally inadequate, step out of the way and trust God to work in and through me.  There may be times when I feel really small, but I have a BIG God.  How about you? What difficult things lay ahead for you in 2015? Where do you feel a wee bit third string? Come on. Soar. Step out. With God, all things are possible.  Go Bucks! 

"And is it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.  For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.  I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power." 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.