Oh, man! It's raining!
If any of you have ever played football at any level, you know what that little phrase means. Sloppy field. Missed tackles. Lousy grip. Slipping and sliding everywhere. Pretty much a coach's worst nightmare. But to me as a player, some of the best memories of my playing days came from exactly those kind of conditions.
Yeah, there were some bad games with very little scoring, but such is the game.
One of my favorite memories came when we were playing at one of our biggest rivals. It was pouring rain, and the field was a nasty mess. It was 3rd and 2, and we were backed up against our own end zone. It just so happened that right behind their huddle was a giant mud hole. I thought to myself, ' If they run this way, I'm going plant that guy right there." Sure enough, they came straight up the middle, and the lines parted like the Red Sea. I ran at that running back and with all I had, drove him straight into the middle of the puddle.
Now, was it luck that they ran straight up the gut? Probably. Was it luck that we totally destroyed the other team in this game? No. Our coaches took the time throughout the week to prepare us for the conditions. We practiced in the rain, we ran in the rain, and most of all, we all had FUN in the rain. Now, for the other team, I can't say that they had fun, but we did because we were prepared. Obviously we still had some mistakes and bad plays. But, we always had the faith of the coaches because they knew we were prepared.
Such it is with life also. Sometimes the field, or the world we live in, is a big sloppy mess. Sometimes things happen, like natural disasters, personal problems, even death. It may seem that it is constantly raining. BUT, there is always hope. Just like with our coaches, we have people that are preparing us for the hard times.
Living prophets help us to be able to overcome many of life's challenges. They give council and advice, and they help us understand what to do when all seems lost, and we're at our most desperate times. They help us become prepared, so that when those times of hardship and despair come, we can take them in stride, and have fun in the rain.
I know that God loves each and every one of us. He wants us to be able to have joy in this life. But, we have to do our part and take the time to prepare ourselves for the life to come. As we are obedient to His council and follow His plan, we will be able to enjoy the muddy field we call life.
