Son Taylor forwarded the article to me. Good words for Christians weary of the battle from offensive lineman Joe Thomas of the winless Cleveland Browns (named for my mother's high school's football coach in Massillon):
My mentality from the day I started playing sports was that you get up, you dust yourself off and you do it again. Some people lay on the ground after they get hurt and they say, "Boy, that hurts. I wonder if I'm hurt. I'd better get it checked out." That's not part of my thought process.
My mind is going to tell my body I can do this, and if my body can't do it and I fall to the ground, then you know it's time to get it checked out. - Joe Thomas
Holiness is...
hard work:
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin... (Hebrews 12:1-4)
Tim serves Clearnote Church, Bloomington, Indiana. He and Mary Lee have five children and big lots of grandchildren.
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