My husband would tell you I am my father's daughter. My dad loved sports, and at the ripe old age of 95 could tell you who was winning in almost every sport on TV.
My first love is professional football in general and the Green Bay Packers in particular. I am also very blessed to be the recipient of NFL Sunday Ticket, so I can watch every game from preseason to the Super Bowl -- and I don't miss many. Once the football season ends, I turn my attention to NASCAR, golf and the basketball playoffs.
There is something in the Bible about resting on the Sabbath, and Sunday has become my day to "be retired." However, I also try to keep up with the Sprint Cup practices and the Thursday through Saturday rounds of golf to stay current when Sunday's final events arrive.
Since it is always fun for me to discover how God relates to all aspects of life, famous folk are interesting, and athletes are certainly a challenge.
If you stop to think about how many professional athletes there are, the number is nothing short of staggering. In just football alone, 32 teams -- each having a roster of 53 players -- total 1,696 men. And that is only the active players, not all the remaining personnel. If you add all the participants involved in other sports, it results in numbers too large to even comprehend. What this tells me is that while it may seem there are a rather large number of athletes who are less-than-model citizens, there are also huge numbers that live exemplary lives. How many live up to the example God has set forth for all of us?
Probably one of the most obvious Christians is Tim Tebow, who never let a play go by that he didn't fall on his knees and bow his head in recognition of his gifts from God. There are others who make the sign of the cross when they do something special. And what about those who spend Christmas Day at a children's hospital, those who speak to parents who have experienced the death of a child, and the hundreds who have used their money to pay back a mother or grandmother who raised them in spite of unbelievable odds?
I remember hearing about a basketball player who, when he traveled for the first time with his team to an away game, walked into his hotel room and noted it was bigger than the entire residence in which he was raised. He appreciated the things his salary could buy and wanted to make life better for his family.
For most of those who become professional athletes, there is no doubt that money enters into the picture, but how they spend their millions can be a reflection of God at work in their lives. One only needs to look at those who have stepped up when the area they came from was flattened by a tornado or washed away by a flood. Many came in person to help repair the damage, and others sent vast sums of money to help with expenses.
Then there are those who provide opportunities of learning for young people, those who want to make a difference in the world. I am sure if all the money that is donated to nonprofits was added together, the total amount would boggle the mind. Golf alone has contributed more than $2 billion.
One of the basic lessons I often hear from the pulpit on any given Sunday morning is to love God and to love others as you love yourself. When I hear of athletes who are using their gifts from God successfully, I am always touched by those who actually live out this commandment every day of their lives. They choose a lifestyle that brings God to those who need Him and put others first when they have the chance to do so. Not a bad lesson for all of us to live by.
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Burgess moved to Bella Vista in 1995. She considers each day a gift -- although some are more fun to open than others. The opinions expressed in this column don't necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper.
Religion on 08/06/2014