Have you ever stopped and asked yourself "how did I end up here?"
Sometimes that thinking can be deliberate - that's reflection. Sometimes, we get a sense of something and over time we see it - that's realization. Other times, it takes something or someone external to our situation to shed some light - that's revelation. However our question comes to us, its generated by an awareness of us either ending up somewhere we never thought we'd attain to, or being in a position we never intended to be in when we set out.
As men we are not good at reflection - we can have a tendency to get our heads down, engage in contact, thinking we are being courageous, but missing the bigger picture. In sport, its about scoring tries, making touchdowns, hitting home runs, shooting those hoops. In business its about, hitting those targets, making a margin that will produce a return. In serving others its about making a difference to them, not us. In relationships its about us, not me.
In rugby union, there is a move called "the rolling maul" - hey that sounds like life doesn't it? The move starts with a player in possession of the ball engaging in contact with an opposition player. Provided the player can stay on his feet, other players from each side can "bind" onto their respective players, trying to wrestle the ball away from the player in possession - the important thing is, if you enter into contact and a maul forms, you have to maintain forward momentum. Your team mates will try and drive you on and the opposition will try and drive you back.
It can be a very effect tactic, particularly if you have a physical advantage and can travel across the gain line. At other times, it can descend into a wrestling match that is going nowhere, other than sapping the strength of the combatants. Recent law changes have given players and referees some important guidance. Provided there is momentum, the move can continue. If the maul stops - the referee will reset the game and hand possession over to the opposition. Quite a responsibility for the team taking the ball into contact then? Quite often the better referees will let players know - sometimes, you will hear them shout "use it or lose it" - that's the point as a player stuck in the middle of a mass of players, with no chance of shipping the ball, you think to yourself "how did I end up here?".... the point being, when we committed to engaging in contact, our intention wasn't stalemate or conceding possession.
The man's man Jesus Christ, notes something about the way in which men start to engage and the effects different contexts have on us. He used an illustration about ground conditions. Seed sown by farmers lands on ground which may be experiencing different conditions. Some ground is rock hard and the seeds bounce off it and are picked off easily by predators. Its not much of a game if we can be picked off easily, especially if we think we are hard. Other conditions are shallow and the seed doesn't stand much chance of making it - how often we are shallow about things that are really important - especially relationships. At other times ground conditions can be thick with weeds that simply choke the life out of anything that starts to move - a bit like getting stopped in your tracks in a rolling maul. At other times, the ground is good and the results are great. Who would set out to be picked off or through being shallow lose something of worth? Or who sets out to have the life choked out of them? No one.
The offer of Jesus Christ is to help us as men to reflect on where we are right now, to see that there is a big picture that we are part of and to be there with us, driving us forward, being that great support to us, mentor, coach, life strength conditioner. Perhaps the best question we can ask ourselves as men, no matter how we arrive at it (through reflection, realization or through revelation) is "how did I end up here?" - perhaps that can be a starting point to regaining or refocusing on our part in a much bigger picture - how about it?
Thursday, 22 March 2012
Friday, 16 March 2012
Line Speed & Keeping Shape
In sport, having a solid defence is a key element of building a strong team and creating a platform from which to launch attacks. There is little point in making great scores if the back door leaks away any advantage you've worked for. I guess that's true in life, business and in church scenarios. However, being overly defence minded can have a detrimental impact on the ability to think expansively and there, we must make sure our approach is a balanced one. Simply defending not to lose makes for a dull game. Life, business and faith without adventure is just marking time.
Recently, I was watching a 7 a side rugby tournament. It was fast and furious, with tries and tackles, pace and power. It was exciting stuff. The ability of teams to score was directly related to how the other team organised their defence and managed their line. One side in particular stood out. They were using their line of defence as a way of putting the team in possession of the ball on the back foot. The were forcing errors and turning over possession. How did they do it? Line speed and keeping their shape.
Rugby is a sport in which to advance, the ball has to initially travel backwards - this is true of an individual pass (it cant go forward) and from a set piece such as a lineout or a scrum. The ball travels backwards from the line of play and only when it has crossed its starting position has a team crossed the "gain line".
A cleverly organised defence, who are quick off the mark, can attack the space between and effectively force the other team backwards. This can be used to repel an attack and to take back lost ground, even though the "defending" team do not have possession. When line speed is combined with keeping the defensive shape, would be attackers have no gaps to exploit and have to play laterally (flat). That makes them an easier target to hit in a tackle. So, defending isn't negative or neutral. With shape and line speed, it can be a force for creating momentum and retaking possession.
Watching the team working together for each other was impressive. In fact, they were the team of the tournament, going on to become champions. There's something great, something noble about men standing together, with a common purpose, working as a team. There is a sense of camaraderie, being part of something bigger, a sense of achievement. There is good humour and a sense of we all stand or fall together. Working and striving together for a purpose can be the struggle, the trial, the crucible in which heroes are forged. A man without purpose is aimless. A man with purpose has a sense of identity and dignity.
The bible has some interesting observations about line speed and defensive shapes.
In times not dissimilar to today, a special envoy called Ezekiel noted that in his generation, when God was looking for men to stand up and be counted, no one could be found who would rise to the challenge of forming a defensive line for the sake of the vulnerable or those who had yet to reach their potential. There were gaps everywhere, breaches in the defensive line and the vulnerable were being preyed on by those who were exploiting the gaps. What an indictment.
Thankfully in other generations, the call was heeded. To each generation, God's call to men is the same. "Who will stand in the gap for the land?" Being a defender often means putting yourself on the line for the sake of another. Who wouldn't want the safe keeping of the vulnerable or to create the safety in which others can grow to fulfil their potential. But is doesn't just happen. The call is still the same in this generation - come on, "who will stand in the gap?" Who is prepared to work the line?
Recently, I was watching a 7 a side rugby tournament. It was fast and furious, with tries and tackles, pace and power. It was exciting stuff. The ability of teams to score was directly related to how the other team organised their defence and managed their line. One side in particular stood out. They were using their line of defence as a way of putting the team in possession of the ball on the back foot. The were forcing errors and turning over possession. How did they do it? Line speed and keeping their shape.
Rugby is a sport in which to advance, the ball has to initially travel backwards - this is true of an individual pass (it cant go forward) and from a set piece such as a lineout or a scrum. The ball travels backwards from the line of play and only when it has crossed its starting position has a team crossed the "gain line".
A cleverly organised defence, who are quick off the mark, can attack the space between and effectively force the other team backwards. This can be used to repel an attack and to take back lost ground, even though the "defending" team do not have possession. When line speed is combined with keeping the defensive shape, would be attackers have no gaps to exploit and have to play laterally (flat). That makes them an easier target to hit in a tackle. So, defending isn't negative or neutral. With shape and line speed, it can be a force for creating momentum and retaking possession.
Watching the team working together for each other was impressive. In fact, they were the team of the tournament, going on to become champions. There's something great, something noble about men standing together, with a common purpose, working as a team. There is a sense of camaraderie, being part of something bigger, a sense of achievement. There is good humour and a sense of we all stand or fall together. Working and striving together for a purpose can be the struggle, the trial, the crucible in which heroes are forged. A man without purpose is aimless. A man with purpose has a sense of identity and dignity.
The bible has some interesting observations about line speed and defensive shapes.
In times not dissimilar to today, a special envoy called Ezekiel noted that in his generation, when God was looking for men to stand up and be counted, no one could be found who would rise to the challenge of forming a defensive line for the sake of the vulnerable or those who had yet to reach their potential. There were gaps everywhere, breaches in the defensive line and the vulnerable were being preyed on by those who were exploiting the gaps. What an indictment.
Thankfully in other generations, the call was heeded. To each generation, God's call to men is the same. "Who will stand in the gap for the land?" Being a defender often means putting yourself on the line for the sake of another. Who wouldn't want the safe keeping of the vulnerable or to create the safety in which others can grow to fulfil their potential. But is doesn't just happen. The call is still the same in this generation - come on, "who will stand in the gap?" Who is prepared to work the line?
Friday, 2 March 2012
opting for the blind side
Open side or blind side? Contact or pass? Offload or go to ground? Cross field or down a direct channel? Pass or kick? Do you feel exhausted just reading those options? Most sports present players with a myriad of options at every point of play. Making very speedy assessments, evaluating the options and making a good choice are what marks the top players out from the crowd. In fact, making smart decisions is at the heart of how most things turn out.
One of the things young players take time to understand is, you've always got more time than you think you have. I guess if we looked at life in the same way, we'd probably conclude, we've made some rash decisions or leapt to a conclusion very quickly. If only we had time to consider the options.
So, why do many teams persist in playing down the blind side - put another way, why do teams look to play down a narrow channel rather than the much wider option presented by the open field of play? You see it often when there is a scrum or a lineout (throw in) - a team will set off down the narrowest part of the pitch. Why?
Here are three simple observations - the blind side:
a) its an attacking option in its own right - there is an element of surprise, especially when the defence are on the back foot, or they are spread across the open side. As an option you run the risk of taking more than a fair share of contact or being knocked into touch, but its attacking potential is great.
b) its a tactical play for widening out the open side even further - teams will continually go to the blind side and run the narrow strip of the field to draw defenders away from the open side and into contact, taking them out of the game - by releasing the ball quickly the potential for an open side attack can be siginficantly improved
c) its sometimes the only option available - when the defence is stacked against you, this may be the only option open. Sometimes, you've just got to commit to it and go, prepared for the impact.
Taking the obvious, wide open option is the route that many take.The bible has an interesting take on the blind side. Looking for and finding the narrower way is described by the man's man Jesus Christ as the way that leads to life. Who wouldn't want to follow a route that leads to life? Taking a different route certainly wouldn't be a smart choice.
Jesus Christ understands the narrow way, after all, its the route he followed. Yes he was a great teacher. Yes he was an outstanding person. Yes he did some outstanding things. But perhaps the most outstanding thing was when he stepped across to the narrow way, the blind side. In taking the blind side, he wrong footed his critics, opposition and the wrecker of humanity. It is recorded that the man's man put his reputation to one side, took up the role of service and in incredible humility took the full impact of our failings. His blind side, was a cross.
What a choice. But, just like a player going down the blind side draws the opposition defence, he opened up the field of play for us to make progress. That's impressive. Back to those sporting and life choices. We could simply roll with the crowd or we could look for a narrower way. The blind side. If we're prepared to find it, it leads to life - now that's stand out from the crowd stuff - but are we prepared to look for it?
One of the things young players take time to understand is, you've always got more time than you think you have. I guess if we looked at life in the same way, we'd probably conclude, we've made some rash decisions or leapt to a conclusion very quickly. If only we had time to consider the options.
So, why do many teams persist in playing down the blind side - put another way, why do teams look to play down a narrow channel rather than the much wider option presented by the open field of play? You see it often when there is a scrum or a lineout (throw in) - a team will set off down the narrowest part of the pitch. Why?
Here are three simple observations - the blind side:
a) its an attacking option in its own right - there is an element of surprise, especially when the defence are on the back foot, or they are spread across the open side. As an option you run the risk of taking more than a fair share of contact or being knocked into touch, but its attacking potential is great.
b) its a tactical play for widening out the open side even further - teams will continually go to the blind side and run the narrow strip of the field to draw defenders away from the open side and into contact, taking them out of the game - by releasing the ball quickly the potential for an open side attack can be siginficantly improved
c) its sometimes the only option available - when the defence is stacked against you, this may be the only option open. Sometimes, you've just got to commit to it and go, prepared for the impact.
Taking the obvious, wide open option is the route that many take.The bible has an interesting take on the blind side. Looking for and finding the narrower way is described by the man's man Jesus Christ as the way that leads to life. Who wouldn't want to follow a route that leads to life? Taking a different route certainly wouldn't be a smart choice.
Jesus Christ understands the narrow way, after all, its the route he followed. Yes he was a great teacher. Yes he was an outstanding person. Yes he did some outstanding things. But perhaps the most outstanding thing was when he stepped across to the narrow way, the blind side. In taking the blind side, he wrong footed his critics, opposition and the wrecker of humanity. It is recorded that the man's man put his reputation to one side, took up the role of service and in incredible humility took the full impact of our failings. His blind side, was a cross.
What a choice. But, just like a player going down the blind side draws the opposition defence, he opened up the field of play for us to make progress. That's impressive. Back to those sporting and life choices. We could simply roll with the crowd or we could look for a narrower way. The blind side. If we're prepared to find it, it leads to life - now that's stand out from the crowd stuff - but are we prepared to look for it?
Friday, 24 February 2012
When running through the phases isnt enough
Structure and process are important. There can be no denying that without form, or some kind of pattern, sport, business, church and life in general can degenerate into a collection of unrelated events or stilted movement. Process is important to ensure there is continuity and to take the focus off living for events or the spectacular and a continuous need to hit a high. Sometimes, we just have to keep on with life. In sport, keeping the score board ticking along is important. In rugby for example, running patiently through the phases is key to making progress and securing possession. However, there are times when pressing "refresh" or introducing a shift or a change is essential to being a winner.
I was listening to a commentary from a rugby match recently and the summariser said "that's 35 phases, they have worked through, they simply can't break through this resolute defence". That set me thinking "either the defence was strong", or perhaps "the other side were totally bereft of ideas or didn't have players with the ability to see beyond a one dimensional model of play. Doing the same thing can be strength sapping and safe at the same time - you see, there is no risk attached to process.
Some of the most exciting games of rugby I have seen have been those in which an individual player or a team totally disrupt a standard pattern of play. They can see gaps that others cant see. They have a speed of thought and spatial awareness that can spot open spaces behind defenders. They have the perception to realise the norm isn't working and something else is needed. The line between success and failure is determined by the risks we are prepared to take on the field and sometimes in life.
Broken play is messy. There are risks attached to chipping a ball over someones head into space and trying to run through. There is the possibility that a forward getting into a line of slick passing backs could totally miss-time a pass and give away an interception. But its exciting. Especially when the alternative is 35 phases of grind and lateral movement. Lets not be too harsh on players with their heads down, engaged in their personal battles with their opposite numbers. After all, when you're in the thick of the action, it can be difficult to see the bigger picture, particularly if you are personally under pressure.
The bible records an incredible moment, when the man's man Jesus invites his friend Peter to climb over the side of the boat, defy convention, his own fears and the natural order of things and step onto water. Whatever your belief system, I guess like me you'd accept its a pretty spectacular or radical thing to ask a man to do. But then, that's what the man's man did and still does. He challenges the notion that simply running through the phases is enough. God knows, life can be pretty mundane and he equally knows how we respond to it. The challenge he offers us is to see it from a different perspective. To maybe take a risk on something different - after all, isn't that what faith is - taking a risk, a step into the unknown or unfamiliar?
If running through the phases isn't getting you anywhere near scoring the try or making that touch-down, or hitting that home run, you've been striving for or aiming at - how about you try stepping out over the side of the boat, take a risk, do something different - the neat thing about what Jesus asked Peter to do, was: it was no more than he was doing himself - that's what I like about the man's man. Are you happy running through the phases? What do you need to do differently? Listen for his voice above the sound of the wind and the waves, he may just be asking you to step out of the boat....
I was listening to a commentary from a rugby match recently and the summariser said "that's 35 phases, they have worked through, they simply can't break through this resolute defence". That set me thinking "either the defence was strong", or perhaps "the other side were totally bereft of ideas or didn't have players with the ability to see beyond a one dimensional model of play. Doing the same thing can be strength sapping and safe at the same time - you see, there is no risk attached to process.
Some of the most exciting games of rugby I have seen have been those in which an individual player or a team totally disrupt a standard pattern of play. They can see gaps that others cant see. They have a speed of thought and spatial awareness that can spot open spaces behind defenders. They have the perception to realise the norm isn't working and something else is needed. The line between success and failure is determined by the risks we are prepared to take on the field and sometimes in life.
Broken play is messy. There are risks attached to chipping a ball over someones head into space and trying to run through. There is the possibility that a forward getting into a line of slick passing backs could totally miss-time a pass and give away an interception. But its exciting. Especially when the alternative is 35 phases of grind and lateral movement. Lets not be too harsh on players with their heads down, engaged in their personal battles with their opposite numbers. After all, when you're in the thick of the action, it can be difficult to see the bigger picture, particularly if you are personally under pressure.
The bible records an incredible moment, when the man's man Jesus invites his friend Peter to climb over the side of the boat, defy convention, his own fears and the natural order of things and step onto water. Whatever your belief system, I guess like me you'd accept its a pretty spectacular or radical thing to ask a man to do. But then, that's what the man's man did and still does. He challenges the notion that simply running through the phases is enough. God knows, life can be pretty mundane and he equally knows how we respond to it. The challenge he offers us is to see it from a different perspective. To maybe take a risk on something different - after all, isn't that what faith is - taking a risk, a step into the unknown or unfamiliar?
If running through the phases isn't getting you anywhere near scoring the try or making that touch-down, or hitting that home run, you've been striving for or aiming at - how about you try stepping out over the side of the boat, take a risk, do something different - the neat thing about what Jesus asked Peter to do, was: it was no more than he was doing himself - that's what I like about the man's man. Are you happy running through the phases? What do you need to do differently? Listen for his voice above the sound of the wind and the waves, he may just be asking you to step out of the boat....
Friday, 10 February 2012
11 things playing the advantage gives you
Lets face it, being a referee can't be easy. Everyone has an opinion about every decision you make or about the ones they think you miss. Learning the law is one thing, applying and interpreting it is another level.
One area that allows a referee some discretion is - the law of "advantage". Summing it up, a referee can allow play to continue after an offence has occurred, if, in his opinion, he thinks you would be disadvantaged by stopping the game. In rugby, there is no time limit, the referee is the sole judge of when any advantage has expired or, if in his view, no advantage is gained, he can stop the game and reset by awarding a penalty.
As a player, the advantage rule is great. At the very least, you know that the referee will stop the game if you can't make the most of the scope you've been given and award a penalty. At the other end of the scale, you're free to carry on unimpeded to perhaps try something you may not have taken a risk on, without the advantage.
I started to think about this in a playing context and also in a life context.
The bible has some really useful advice, when it tells us that the "man's man" Jesus Christ came to bring liberation - that is freedom from containment, freedom to find the true expression of life that was always intended for us to express. The advice is very simple and yet so often, we complicate it with stop start thinking - here it is: "it is for freedom that Christ has set us free".
Putting it simply, God has called "advantage", He wants us to carry on playing it out, without hinderance or being impeded. So many people think that God wants to keep whistle blowing - stop, starting, "you cant do this, you cant do that" - nothing could be further from the truth. He has signalled "advantage" and its game on!
Here are my 11 things that playing the advantage gives you. Read them first in the context of the game. When the referee signals advantage, he has made his intention clear; from that point, until he decides otherwise, he is looking out for you and for your benefit. Then, read them again, but this time, think about "the" highest authority looking out for your benefit...
When you know the referee has signalled advantage:
One area that allows a referee some discretion is - the law of "advantage". Summing it up, a referee can allow play to continue after an offence has occurred, if, in his opinion, he thinks you would be disadvantaged by stopping the game. In rugby, there is no time limit, the referee is the sole judge of when any advantage has expired or, if in his view, no advantage is gained, he can stop the game and reset by awarding a penalty.
As a player, the advantage rule is great. At the very least, you know that the referee will stop the game if you can't make the most of the scope you've been given and award a penalty. At the other end of the scale, you're free to carry on unimpeded to perhaps try something you may not have taken a risk on, without the advantage.
I started to think about this in a playing context and also in a life context.
The bible has some really useful advice, when it tells us that the "man's man" Jesus Christ came to bring liberation - that is freedom from containment, freedom to find the true expression of life that was always intended for us to express. The advice is very simple and yet so often, we complicate it with stop start thinking - here it is: "it is for freedom that Christ has set us free".
Putting it simply, God has called "advantage", He wants us to carry on playing it out, without hinderance or being impeded. So many people think that God wants to keep whistle blowing - stop, starting, "you cant do this, you cant do that" - nothing could be further from the truth. He has signalled "advantage" and its game on!
Here are my 11 things that playing the advantage gives you. Read them first in the context of the game. When the referee signals advantage, he has made his intention clear; from that point, until he decides otherwise, he is looking out for you and for your benefit. Then, read them again, but this time, think about "the" highest authority looking out for your benefit...
When you know the referee has signalled advantage:
- you can attempt something riskier or more creative
- you can be more expansive in your play
- you're not contained by the offence that's been committed against you
- you are in control of the next phase of play, even if the current one breaks down
- you don't have to resort to retaliation - that's been covered by a higher authority
- someone has seen you were mistreated but can see the potential for you to keep going
- you can keep going so long as the route is clear to do so or at least until this phase stops
- you're not wasting your time or energy complaining about what has happened to you
- you're making progress under direct authority that is on your side
- where there's space to play, you can just keep going
- the opportunity to complete what you were attempting is still on
Friday, 3 February 2012
"Step up, there are questions to be answered"
In the Northern Hemisphere the primary International rugby competition is the 6 Nations Championship, contested by England, France, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Italy. With the 2011 Rugby World Cup fresh in the memory, many players will feel they have points to prove, or scores to settle. Those newly called up to the squads will have the expectation of making a lasting impression for all of the right reasons and to secure match day selection. But when it comes down to it, what does it take?
I have been reading the views of a former player and respected rugby commentator who recalls that "passion" is a given, but its not enough to win a test match. I guess if you can't feel a surge of pride when you pull on the colors of your country, when can you? What else does it take? Well, each position has 3 or 4 key roles and if every man plays his part and does it better than his opposite number, the team will win. There's a certain logic to that view. The article continued that if you were playing the opposition in a club match, you wouldn't fear them, so why fear them when they pull on an international jersey? Again, there is logic to that - a player doesn't automatically get better because he is wearing a different shirt - a little more passion perhaps, but fitter, stronger, technically and tactically more astute?
What makes a person step up to the mark when the test comes. Who can answer the questions asked by unforgiving and unrelenting opposition? The difference is the ability to hold things together when the pressure comes - under the scrutiny of thousands in a stadium and millions of armchair experts watching by TV. In a media driven world, there is nowhere to hide. The game changers will be those who can hold their nerve at crucial times. Those who do what they have always done; in training when no one is watching, routinely week in week out - they will have an answer.
Life throws up challenges everyday, it can feel unrelenting sometimes cant it? There are times when we feel like bolting or running, but ultimately there is nowhere to hide; we have to find answers.
The bible has a revealing insight into the nature of God and his relationship with man. It records an account of a man called Job. He faced trial after trial. His world had been devastated by personal tragedy. He was experiencing stress, anxiety and loss. In some ways, he is unique. Yet he is "every man" - for who doesn't face trials and tests, we want solutions, we seek calm, space, time to think. We have well meaning people, who try to advise and make things more confusing - just like Job.
Isn't that the moment you'd expect an intervening act from a "loving", "caring" God. Instead, just like in the tough, physical test arena, God asks searching questions. In fact he said to Job "man up, I've got some questions to ask you, that you must answer" - True love isn't built on sentiment or platitude and just as in a game, passion alone wont see us through. True love is a conscious choice, a decision. It's a resolve that may be shaped by circumstances, but ultimately isn't defined by them. Sure, there is passion, there is emotion. But the question to Job was aimed at helping him see who he really was; regardless of circumstance. Then to see God with him in his circumstance and beyond, as part of a much bigger picture. If we can discover relationship that reaches beyond sentiment, that brings out the best in us and to whose cause we can add our strength - then we are on the way to becoming "game changers".
In the physical, emotional and mental pressure of the test arena, those who know who they are, what they are capable of and who have a sense of being a part of something bigger than their own ego, will make a difference. What questions are you being asked? Where are you finding your answers? Faith, reaches out to a God who asks us to reach beyond ourselves. For me, the challenge is to pull the shirt on and go live out the difference. Are you up for it?
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
You've got to be grounded before you can fly
You would have thought kicking a ball would be straightforward. Right? But in the sport of rugby, there are several different techniques and rules that apply to kicking a ball.
One of the techniques is the drop kick. It is used to start and restart play and can be used to score points, by kicking the ball through the uprights of the goal posts. For those familiar with rugby, who can forget the moment when Johnny Wilkinson produced the match winning "drop goal" for England to beat Australia in the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final.
What is so odd about a drop kick? There is one fundamental difference that marks a drop kick from any other kick from hand. That is, it must be released from hand and strike the ground before it is kicked. In other words, a player has to release the ball, let it ground, before it can be struck into flight.
There is an element of risk in a drop kick. The nature of the kick lends itself to people mis-striking the ball, sending it scudding along the ground. The shape of the ball is probably the biggest difficulty to overcome. With its odd elliptical shape, unless it is grounded properly in the drop - so it comes back slightly towards the kicker - it is more than likely to skew off the kicker's boot in a grotesque hook shot or the kicker will do an "air kick" - the latter is my own speciality, as the ball bobbles off to one side just as my foot is about to boot it into flight.
Unless a ball is grounded properly, its flight wont be true.
The pressure of the occasion can get to players too and the position on the field has to be just right for a skilled player to "drop a goal". Commentators describe a player as being "in the pocket" - in just enough space, within distance, not under too much pressure from the opposition and with enough time to send the ball into flight. But unless you make an attempt, you wont score the points.
In life, its often the case that we want to go flying off toward some goal that we've been set or have set ourselves. We want to force the pace and want a result now, without having to take time.
At other times, we simply have too tight a grip on some things and we wont let them go, to fly toward the target.
Its not easy to let go or to release something or perhaps more significantly someone to fly toward their goal. Releasing our children to the next phase of their life can be difficult for us. It's true in business or in ministry too. If something is our "baby" so to speak, letting go can be hard. But as with the drop kick, we often have to release something to let it fly. But we still have a part to play.
For a kick to have a true flight, it must be grounded correctly - as we have seen. How we prepare and ground something is really important. Foundational principles are so critical to making it in life, sport, business or ministry. What we ourselves are grounded in or how we have been grounded will determine how or even if we will get off the ground and head toward a goal.
The great thinker, writer and communicator Paul the Apostle had some very good advice about being properly grounded. He wrote, in fact he made it a prayer (an intentional, thoughtful, expression or request to God on the behalf of those he was writing to) saying: "I pray that you would be rooted and grounded in the love of Christ" - the man's man. In other words, if you can get an appreciation of the fact that you are really valued as an individual, by Christ who loves you, regardless of your state or status, then you can find a real grounding that will be like a springboard to flight.
God doesn't want to control us, he wants us to be grounded, so that as he releases us to life, our flight can be true and on target for all that life has and we have to offer to life. Who knows, as in the sport, if our flight as a person is based on being properly grounded, we may just be in line to be a game changer - if we don't try we will never fly and if we don't fly, we will live and only die, without realising our potential in life, sport, business or ministry.
One of the techniques is the drop kick. It is used to start and restart play and can be used to score points, by kicking the ball through the uprights of the goal posts. For those familiar with rugby, who can forget the moment when Johnny Wilkinson produced the match winning "drop goal" for England to beat Australia in the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final.
What is so odd about a drop kick? There is one fundamental difference that marks a drop kick from any other kick from hand. That is, it must be released from hand and strike the ground before it is kicked. In other words, a player has to release the ball, let it ground, before it can be struck into flight.
There is an element of risk in a drop kick. The nature of the kick lends itself to people mis-striking the ball, sending it scudding along the ground. The shape of the ball is probably the biggest difficulty to overcome. With its odd elliptical shape, unless it is grounded properly in the drop - so it comes back slightly towards the kicker - it is more than likely to skew off the kicker's boot in a grotesque hook shot or the kicker will do an "air kick" - the latter is my own speciality, as the ball bobbles off to one side just as my foot is about to boot it into flight.
Unless a ball is grounded properly, its flight wont be true.
The pressure of the occasion can get to players too and the position on the field has to be just right for a skilled player to "drop a goal". Commentators describe a player as being "in the pocket" - in just enough space, within distance, not under too much pressure from the opposition and with enough time to send the ball into flight. But unless you make an attempt, you wont score the points.
In life, its often the case that we want to go flying off toward some goal that we've been set or have set ourselves. We want to force the pace and want a result now, without having to take time.
At other times, we simply have too tight a grip on some things and we wont let them go, to fly toward the target.
Its not easy to let go or to release something or perhaps more significantly someone to fly toward their goal. Releasing our children to the next phase of their life can be difficult for us. It's true in business or in ministry too. If something is our "baby" so to speak, letting go can be hard. But as with the drop kick, we often have to release something to let it fly. But we still have a part to play.
For a kick to have a true flight, it must be grounded correctly - as we have seen. How we prepare and ground something is really important. Foundational principles are so critical to making it in life, sport, business or ministry. What we ourselves are grounded in or how we have been grounded will determine how or even if we will get off the ground and head toward a goal.
The great thinker, writer and communicator Paul the Apostle had some very good advice about being properly grounded. He wrote, in fact he made it a prayer (an intentional, thoughtful, expression or request to God on the behalf of those he was writing to) saying: "I pray that you would be rooted and grounded in the love of Christ" - the man's man. In other words, if you can get an appreciation of the fact that you are really valued as an individual, by Christ who loves you, regardless of your state or status, then you can find a real grounding that will be like a springboard to flight.
God doesn't want to control us, he wants us to be grounded, so that as he releases us to life, our flight can be true and on target for all that life has and we have to offer to life. Who knows, as in the sport, if our flight as a person is based on being properly grounded, we may just be in line to be a game changer - if we don't try we will never fly and if we don't fly, we will live and only die, without realising our potential in life, sport, business or ministry.
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