Most of us watched the incredibly frightening sight of Buffalo Bills safety, Damar Hamlin, going down to the turf after a routine tackle in last night’s game. If you didn’t see it live, you have probably heard the news.
As of right now, he is in pretty serious shape.
I am a lover of sports. I love watching all different kinds of sports, but football is definitely a Top 3.
I have been learning more and more over the years that the actual games are only a part of “Sport”, yet the games consume us, they drive us crazy, bring us joy and pain, and too often affect our emotions. All of this is OK, if we acknowledge – they are ONLY games.
This idea was made clear last night when Damar went down, and the responders began using CPR on him to keep him alive until the ambulance could transport him to the hospital. We saw the pain on the faces of his teammates, coaches, staff, and so many others. “The game” wasn’t on the mind of anyone – the only thing on everyone’s mind was – “Is Damar going to be OK?” The NFL, NFLPA, The Bills, and The Bengals certainly made the correct move in suspending the game.
What I saw during the chaos, the uncertainty, the confusion, and the hurt were men praying. There were groups of 2-3, groups of 4-7, and even both teams meeting for prayer. My guess is not all of them are Christ followers, but they didn’t know what else to do. There was certainly a desperation and they cried out to God for help. It was such a cool picture seeing those men cry out to The Lord on behalf of their brother.
This is where God wants us all. In the chaos of life, in the uncertainty and desperation, no where else to go – Go to Him. He doesn’t always take us out of the battles, but He certainly never leaves us alone in them. We read in Daniel, chapter 6, that Daniel was sentenced to the lion’s den for praying to The Lord. Daniel still was thrown into the den for the evening, he still had to face the battle, but he wasn’t alone.
Something else that we have seen is the generosity of people. As of right now (11am on January 3), people have given over $3.7 million to Damar Hamlin’s foundation (The Chasing M’s Foundation). This is how it’s supposed to be – we help each other.
Our prayers go to The Buffalo Bills, the family of Damar Hamlin, the doctors and staff caring for him, and for Damar himself. When we don’t know what to do - Pray
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