“It hurts!”
Those were the words of David Tate, 180 pound safety for the
1990 Chicago Bears. He was not referring to getting blocked on a play. He was
referring to the good-natured rivalry between the smaller defensive backs and
the defensive line of the Bears.
One day, 320 pound William “the Fridge” Perry caught Tate
and collapsed on top of him. As if that were not enough, 270 pound Richard
Dent, 275 pound Dan Hampton, and 270 pound Steve McMichael joined Perry in
squishing the much smaller Tate. That’s 1135 pounds of pain! More than half a
ton! Tate later replied, “I don’t think those guys knew how heavy they really
are!”
Life has a way of weighing us down and pinning us to its
playing field. We feel hard pressed with the responsibilities of life—not to
mention the things that occur without warning. It seems that surprises come in
multiples—one thing after another and usually on top of what is already
weighing you down.
Jesus told us that we could trust Him to take us through
life’s toughest trials. In Matthew 11:28-30, He said,
“Come
to Me, all you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon
you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find
rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
When life hits you and pins you down and when you think the
very life is being crushed out of you, look to Jesus Christ and trust Him for
the strength to come through victorious! He’s already been crushed and bruised
beyond what we will ever have to experience.
Jim Beaird
