I’ve been leisurely reading Tony Dungy’s best seller “Quiet Strength” for several weeks. I already reflected on it once before (here). Today I finished it and the finish coincided with my drive from Riverside, California to Palm Springs.
I just read the chapters where Dungy described the devastating experience of losing his oldest son, Jamie, at just 18 years of age. Though Jamie was a Christ follower and Tony was confident that his son was with Jesus in heaven, the loss was breath taking. Tony’s testimony was that it was the power of God that sustained him through those first few days and in the months since.
On the other end of the emotional spectrum when Dungy and the Colts won the 2007 Super Bowl it was the remarkable moment of a lifetime-of-experiences all coming together at once. The influence of parents, siblings, coaches, teammates, etc. all began flashing in his mind. All the work, discipline, disappointments, defeats and victories along the way culminated in a moment on a platform when the championship trophy was being placed in his hands. Just as Dungy had needed God’s power in the loss of his son Tony recounted that he had needed God’s power in a time of victory.
As you may have noticed, some people “blow up” their lives after a loss while others do so after a victory. Dungy reminds us that we’re always in need of God’s power.
It’s one thing to hear from a Christ follower like Dungy that we need and can receive the power of God and it is another thing to know or understand how that happens. Spiritual experiences like worship, prayer, or Bible reading can be important tools but I feel like I hear 80% of the time that someone has used those tools and there is still a disconnect with God.
Back to my drive, as you enter Palm Springs from the West you are engulfed by hundreds of windmills. A lot of power is generated by the windmills and millions of people benefit from that power. You can’t see the wind that is driving the windmills but you can see the results. You see the blades turning. You can learn of the electricity that is generated and the homes and businesses that are powered.
Our lives are a lot like the windmills. We are dependent upon the presence of God blowing through our lives which then releases God’s power upon us and through us. Worship, prayer and Bible reading are just a few tools that basically position our “blades” so that we can catch the wind. Ultimately we do those spiritual practices because of faith. We believe that God is powerful and we believe that He does release His power upon us.
If the windmills don’t have the blades in position, even though the wind blows no power is received. God’s power is “blowing” around us all of the time. Do you believe? Do you raise those blades with various Christian practices?
Are you in need of God’s power today? It may just be that God has drawn you to the reading of this post so that you might turn to Him in this moment. I pray God’s empowerment upon you.
I just read the chapters where Dungy described the devastating experience of losing his oldest son, Jamie, at just 18 years of age. Though Jamie was a Christ follower and Tony was confident that his son was with Jesus in heaven, the loss was breath taking. Tony’s testimony was that it was the power of God that sustained him through those first few days and in the months since.
On the other end of the emotional spectrum when Dungy and the Colts won the 2007 Super Bowl it was the remarkable moment of a lifetime-of-experiences all coming together at once. The influence of parents, siblings, coaches, teammates, etc. all began flashing in his mind. All the work, discipline, disappointments, defeats and victories along the way culminated in a moment on a platform when the championship trophy was being placed in his hands. Just as Dungy had needed God’s power in the loss of his son Tony recounted that he had needed God’s power in a time of victory.
As you may have noticed, some people “blow up” their lives after a loss while others do so after a victory. Dungy reminds us that we’re always in need of God’s power.
It’s one thing to hear from a Christ follower like Dungy that we need and can receive the power of God and it is another thing to know or understand how that happens. Spiritual experiences like worship, prayer, or Bible reading can be important tools but I feel like I hear 80% of the time that someone has used those tools and there is still a disconnect with God.
Back to my drive, as you enter Palm Springs from the West you are engulfed by hundreds of windmills. A lot of power is generated by the windmills and millions of people benefit from that power. You can’t see the wind that is driving the windmills but you can see the results. You see the blades turning. You can learn of the electricity that is generated and the homes and businesses that are powered.
Our lives are a lot like the windmills. We are dependent upon the presence of God blowing through our lives which then releases God’s power upon us and through us. Worship, prayer and Bible reading are just a few tools that basically position our “blades” so that we can catch the wind. Ultimately we do those spiritual practices because of faith. We believe that God is powerful and we believe that He does release His power upon us.
If the windmills don’t have the blades in position, even though the wind blows no power is received. God’s power is “blowing” around us all of the time. Do you believe? Do you raise those blades with various Christian practices?
Are you in need of God’s power today? It may just be that God has drawn you to the reading of this post so that you might turn to Him in this moment. I pray God’s empowerment upon you.
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