Ugly Scoreboards
Yesterday was Finn and Pax's first flag football game of the season. Pax's excitement was sky-high, and he was hoping to perform at the highest level. On the very first play of the game, he threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. In a matter of five seconds, they were losing 0-7. Ouch!
I was expecting the worst. Would he start crying? Would he get angry? Would he pout and feel sorry for himself? To my surprise, he seemed fine. His offense went three-and-out on its next possession, and their opponent scored an 80-yard touchdown on the first play of their next drive. Two minutes in, and they were down 0-14.
Later on, he missed a tackle that resulted in a long touchdown. Ok, now he was really going to be down. Except he wasn't. He was on the sideline, hyping up his teammates, bringing encouragement, and celebrating every little win. Who is this guy?!?! They went into halftime down 0-21, and he seemed oddly jolly.
As the second half unfolded, his team dominated. Pax moved to defense, where he made himself present on nearly every snap. On the other side of the ball, we scored four touchdowns in a row. Each time we scored, Pax sprinted onto the field and wildly celebrated his teammates. It was a remarkable sight, and I was so proud of him. We won 28-21, and I was extremely proud of both boys' efforts.
The most profound part of that experience for me was watching Pax stay positive, encouraging, and confident despite all the adversity that he endured. He was a stellar teammate and the ultimate hype man. He could have let any one of those events keep him down, yet he persevered.
After our post-game ice cream, I told him that was a perfect analogy for life. We will absolutely get knocked down over and over and over. That's never in question. What's in question, though, is what we'll do about it. Will we give up? Will we cower? Will we be a victim? Will we make excuses? Will we complain? Will we blame others? Or. Or. Or will we get up and keep moving forward?
So many people I'm working with are throwing pick-sixes. They just got scored on. They just gave up a long touchdown. They just missed a play. They are at halftime, down 0-21. They are getting their butts kicked by life. But what happens from here on out is still to be written.
Wherever you're at today, whether down 0-21 or on the winning side of the ledger, the future is still in your hands. Please don't let the past mistakes, unfortunate situations, or embarrassing failures keep you down. Today is a great day to get up, dust yourself off, and put some points on the scoreboard of life.
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