I GOT RUN OVER

WINSDAY WISDOM Session 32

Sometimes things happen in our lives that could be very humorous if they did not cause so much pain. It will be a long time before this incident is funny. If only you had been there. You would have seen the humor. You would have felt the pain.

It felt as if I had been run over by a truck. In reality, it was a football player running full speed into my chest.

There is an old saying, “What does not kill you, will only make you stronger.”

Another saying could be, “What does not kill you, can really make you feel bad.”

I hurt all over. Granted, I am not as young as I used to be, Who is?

I had just been bulldozed on the gridiron sidelines. I played football in another life several centuries ago. I now help our high school football team as a voluntary coach. That gives me close access to the game action. My goal is to example and teach the young men how to stand for God in this crazy world, not how to take down a rumbling running back.

The last time I took on a direct hit that had this much force was many moons ago. I was a sophomore quarterback in high school. I rolled out to the left where a huge Notre Dame-bound defensive lineman had an unobstructed and uncontested run at me. He launched his helmet and shoulder pads directly into my chest. My little body went airborne backwards for over five yards before crash landing on the turf. I was shocked and shaken.

I have been tackled many times since. Sometimes very hard. I have even had at least one concussion from a head-pounding impact with the football turf. Since working with college and high school football teams as a coach, I have been knocked over several times.

The sideline collisions can become unpredictable as to collateral damage. I am pretty adamant about aligning myself many yards behind the direction of activity. It prevents random tests of my declining agility to avoid hurtful impacts.

This past week, I was stupid. STUPID! As the game was grinding to its conclusion, I began to mingle with the players along the midfield sidelines. Then it happened. In seconds, I would be lying on the ground, surrounded by dozens of players and coaches asking if I were okay.

In retrospect, the entire incident would be a primetime candidate clip to show on America’s Funniest Videos. Except for the personal pain, it was hilarious. The greatest damage was to my pride.

Our running back broke a tackle and headed downfield. An opposing player chased him towards the sideline. He was still a good fifteen yards away from where I was standing. I knew enough to pay attention and be ready to reposition myself in case his running direction got rerouted.

There were more than ten players standing on the sideline between us. I felt protected but instinctively stayed alert. Then it happened. The running back was forced to the sideline. He took additional steps down the boundary which brought him closer to my proximity.

Suddenly, the running back was pushed from behind which accelerated his momentum. It also hastened my demise.

The players on the sideline parted like the Red Sea. They acted like matadors waving their arms as the charging bull aimed its horns at my red cape shirt.

The runaway train was full steam ahead. I had nowhere to go. I was hemmed in.

One word described the impending impact. Unavoidable.

One word described the post smash-up. Painful.

The collision was straight on. His helmet and shoulder pads crashed into my chest. My aging years and added weight prevented me from going completely airborne. Instead, I just got plowed over. It was a trainwreck. My body was violently knocked backwards. My cap went flying.

It was one of those moments described in car accidents where everything appears to go into slooooow motion. At the moment of collision, I stared into the eyes of my attacker. As my body collapsed, I knew I had no control of what would happen next.

My silence shouted, “This is bad.”

My mind radioed the distress signal: Mayday! Mayday! Houston, we have a problem!

I had time to think this might be a career ending injury. Thankfully, my teeth were still intact and there was no indication of concussion. Concussion protocol questions would be difficult to evaluate since I was already maxed out on the stupidity test.

In the famous words of TV sports announcer Howard Cosell during the George Foreman championship fight, “Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!”

My name is not Frazier, but I went down hard. Very hard. I landed first on my rear end and lower back. At least there was some padding there. At some point, my head bounced off the hard ground. I never lost consciousness …except for that period my spirit was floating somewhere above the stadium.

The young players showed great compassion as they quickly reacted to my prone position. If they had only been as quick to react to protect me from the impact. Take one for Uncle Rex. At least you have on football pads.

I heard many voices asking if I were ok. One voice in my head whispered, “It is not your time, you stupid man.”

Several players reached out to pull me up. Some tried to lift me. I told all the concerned players that I was ok. I asked them just to let me lie there a moment. I repeated that at least five times. I needed some time for my body to do an emergency inventory evaluation of which body parts actually planned to get up with me. Surely, some appendages had separated or permanently retired from active duty.

Sometimes, it feels as if life has thrown you under the bus. This felt more like being the bug splattered on the bus window.

• I was violently knocked down, BUT I STILL HAD BOTH SHOES ON.
• I DID NOT LOSE MY SOLE.

Eventually, Coach Cherry reached out to help me up after the referee had finished the ten-count. I was surrounded by well-wishers. It’s comforting to know that some people will love and miss you when that time comes.

I slowly limped away from the remaining action on the gridiron. I did my best to do the macho thing. I acted like it was no big deal. I asked if I had hurt the running back. Afterall, he ran into my brick wall body. A brick wall made of Playdough!

I acted as though I would fully recover while, inwardly, I wondered if I could get my body back to my car. I hoped to get home in time to take some Aleve before the crescendo of pain arrived.

Here is another quote from the one and only sports commentator, Howard Cosell, who described himself as arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, verbose, and a showoff. “There is still a higher type of courage—the courage to brave pain, to live with it, to never let others know of it, and to still find joy in life; to wake up in the morning with an enthusiasm for the day ahead.”

I ignored Cosell’s caricature of bravery. I did let others know about the pain. I informed the head coach, my brother, that I would be on the injured reserve list for a few days. I told my wife that I expected to be sore all over the next day. I underestimated.

Yes, I underestimated the amount of soreness and the number of recovery days. I did not wake up the next morning with enthusiasm for the day ahead. I hurt all over. Where did I hurt? Do you have time for an organ recital? The only place I did not hurt was when I had that out of body experience where everything gets dark. The trainer told me it was just the stadium lights being turned off.

God always uses suffering to expand our usefulness. Subsequent days revealed an even stronger bond with the young athletes. Our love has reached a higher level.

What is the spiritual lesson regarding this strange smashup?

Show compassion and feel sorry for stupid people like me. Stupidity can be very embarrassing when it goes public. Forgive us, Lord, for we do not know what we are doing.

Seriously, sometimes life can feel like a trainwreck. That happens in relationships and workplace activities. It occurs in career or health changes. It may or may not be caused by stupidity. Sometimes, it is unavoidable. Always painful.

You are not alone. Difficult life circumstances happen to all of us. Sometimes, like a rushing locomotive, life goes careening off-course. It might rumble over you or carry you over a cliff.

Your life might have collided with unforeseen circumstances. You might have been run over by unconcerned people. That can leave you flat on your back weighing your insecurities, low self-esteem, or self-worth.

A life crisis or calamity can knock you off your feet. You might even lose your spiritual bearings. Maybe you are trying to get back on your feet. Or you might still be assessing the damage, whether you even want to get back up and take another go at life. You might not be ready for others’ help.

Life has its ups and downs. We rarely see the crash coming. This world does not provide safety barriers and flashing signals to block us from hurt. Do not blame this world. Do not curse God in the day of your calamity. This world does not possess the answers to the great questions in life. God does.

Embrace grace. God loves you. He knows where you are and how you feel. He knows how to use the trainwreck to make your life better.

There might be times when your body cannot get up, but your heart can still rise to new heights of love. When knocked down in life, press in closer to the Lord and press on stronger in the race.

How? Start with a change of perspective. Focus on your blessings, not your circumstances. As heartbroken Job declared in the #1 Textbook when faced with the series of calamities that rocked his world and faith, “Shall we welcome the good things from God and not the hard knocks?“

When his world was falling apart, the lamenting, distressed Jeremiah considered a different perspective. God has a purpose for the circumstances and plans for your good. He wants you to see your future with hope (#1 Textbook).

Comfort and calamity come from God. He even uses “stupidity” to advance His kingdom. My witness and love to these young men have been enhanced by the trainwreck.

You do not have to be flat on your back to count your blessings. But it might help you get a better perspective of life. Every moment matters. Every person matters. Every additional morning is precious.

If you are flat on your back and wondering what happened or what comes next, do a quick inventory. You and I are not the only people getting knocked down in life. If you need to cry, then cry. That is not a lack of faith. But focus on God through your tears.

Life is not just about you. It’s about loving those around you. Let us all weep with those who weep (#1 Textbook). Pain is pain, no matter who or what causes it.

What about you? Are you loving? Are you lovable? Are you looking upward? Are you encouraging? Are you lifting others up?

When others have been knocked down in life, they need a caring heart and a helping hand. They do not need criticism or condemnation. They need hope. If they are void of hope, then hope for them. God restores trainwrecks.

Where do you learn that? Flat on your back, run over by life’s undesirable but unavoidable circumstances.

The classic movie, Casablanca, climaxes when Rick (Humphrey Bogart) heroically persuades a tearful Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) to leave him behind and get on the plane with Victor, because the work Victor was doing to defeat the Nazis was too important.

“Ilsa, I’m no good at being noble. But it doesn’t take much to see that the problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you’ll understand that.”

In the big scheme of things, getting run over at a football game does not amount to a hill of beans. It hurt and I confess I got a little teary-eyed. But our mission is to love others first and most. That work is too important for us just to give up. So, get up!

It’s still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die.
…As Time Goes By (Herman Hupfeld)

Here’s looking at you, kid!