In this time of COVID-19, we can’t get together like we used to. Most sports have been canceled. When football starts, there will be no fans in the stadium. It reminds me of Lucy who every year tries to get Charlie Brown to kick the football that she is holding. When Charlie Brown is about to kick it, Lucy pulls it away and Charlie Brown flies through the air and lands on his back in disbelief and disappointment.

In the last two years I have talked about Charlie Brown so this is part three. 

Lucy: “I’ll hold the ball, Charlie Brown, and you come running up and kick it.”

Charlie: “Congratulations, you have just nominated me ‘most stupid kid of the year.’”

Lucy: “But look, Charlie Brown, I’ve been reading this book about holding the ball. See it tells how to hold it for the kickoff, for field goals and for extra points.”

Charlie: “If someone is reading a book about something, I guess you have to trust her. This year I’m going to kick that ball all the way to Omaha.”

Charlie runs and tries to kick the ball, Lucy pulls it away and Charlie lands wham.

Lucy: “I wrote the book, Charlie Brown!”

We cannot depend on education and science to guide us through the problems we have in life. Study and logic are useful, but they cannot be our gods. 

Lucy: “This is a brand new ball, Charlie Brown. I’ll hold it and you come running up and kick it.”

Charlie: “A brand new ball! Wow! This is a real treat!” Charlie backs up and runs at the ball and Lucy pulls it away and Charlie lands wump!

Lucy: “It suddenly occurred to me that if I let you kick it, it wouldn’t be new anymore.”

We want to be the kind of people God wants us to be. But unfortunately, our hearts and minds are still the old hearts and minds and we may have new toys and new people around us but until our feelings and thoughts are changed we will still be the same people just like Lucy.

It is my challenge to each one of us that we allow God to help us change. But that means we must be willing to change. 

Cardinal Cushing wrote a sports prayer and part of it goes like this. “Dear God, help me be a good sport in the game of life. I don’t ask for an easy place in the lineup. Put me anywhere you need me.

I only ask that I can give you 100% of everything I have. Help me to accept the bad breaks as part of the game. Help me study the book so I’ll know the rules.

Finally, God, if the natural turn of events goes against me and I’m benched for sickness or old age, help me to accept that as part of the game too.

Keep me from whimpering that I was framed or that I got a raw deal. All I want is to believe in my heart that I played as well as I could and that I didn’t let you down. Amen”

In life what matters is God living in your life. Enjoy football with the Badgers and the Packers but don’t forget about God.

— Reflections appears regularly on the religion page. The column features a variety of local writers, coordinated through the Monroe Area Clergy Group. David Busker is the retired pastor of Monroe United Methodist Church.