OVERCOMING ADVERSITY
Richard Harris
Today’s Scripture: “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4, ESV
Theme: Compassion moves us to step into someone else’s world and understand their struggles.
PUTTING OTHERS FIRST
True success is found not in personal ambition, but in humbly coming alongside others to help them succeed. Courage and hard work can change everything. Today’s verse directly follows yesterday’s verse, where humility means putting others ahead of ourselves.
My personal endeavors with today’s theme go back a few years, before my retirement. I was chosen, within a national two-year mentoring program, as one of twelve mentors; each responsible for one protégé. It was a formal program that came with high demands. Adversity was built into the early stages, as a professional Psychologist played a major role. Friction, failure, high demands, team values, perseverance, and humble authenticity entered into the scheduled meetings and homework.
Just because I was the mentor did not mean I was the seasoned expert. I learned, quickly, that my protege had a lot to offer, and I listened and learned from our authentic relationship. I stepped into his world, as he stepped into mine. Every business quarter, we were to submit our individual development plans to the national leaders of this program, to let them know what we worked on. Twenty-five percent was to be “Family Time,” twenty-five percent “Learning,” twenty-five percent “Leisure,” and twenty-five percent “Personal Work Endeavors.” My protégés’ interests became mine, and mine his. My protege, and I, as Christians were able to seek resolutions through faith and prayer. As I watched McFarland USA, many of those memories came back as a great foundation of my lifestyle today.
McFarland USA is a 2015 truly inspired sports film, carrying themes of resilience, family, faith in community, and living within the Scripture when overcoming adversity, using Christ as our example.
FAMILY VALUES
Movies tend to take a true story, and add a little drama, in order to build towards the Happily-Ever-After ending. The actual White family, throughout their entire time in McFarland, lived to love the Lord and show others Jesus. They were just living and raising their children to love the Lord as well. There is one movie scene, showing the team on their knees … all in pre-race prayer. In reality, every track meet started out with prayer.
PERSEVERANCE
From the real Jim White: “A Christian should seek to do everything well, and in doing those things either big or small, opportunities have been presenting themselves to us.” He makes a cameo at the end of the movie.
The real Cheryl White: “We were both young, came to McFarland to live, and in doing those things the Bible says, whatever you can find to do, do the best you can. Basically, both of us loved being with the kids.”
Daughter Bell said her mother and father mixed high expectations with a graceful presence. Her dad also made students believe they could live up to his standards.
AUTHENTICITY
I must admit that I had never seen this movie before. Yet it fits my old paradigm of human interaction, faith, and hard work. I utilize this format while reading Bible passages. I place myself at the scene; watching the divine interaction of those times, as I also envision the modern equivalent. I hope you were able to be at this Movies at The Cove presentation and take in the benefits of the comparisons made to our own Christian lives. Realize, as you watch and listen, that all film productions are made to have us experience scenarios … real or not, with emotional responses to our own life experiences, dreams and reality. The good ones take us to real or imaginary scenarios. They trigger genuine emotional and physical responses that can push us to do better, work harder, apply constant faith, provide empathy, and be generous. And then, there’s the popcorn.
Make It Personal: How might you consider others' interest more important than yours this week? Where can you step into someone else’s world and have the compassion of Christ?
Pray: Lord, You have provided us with great amounts of imagination and creation. Thank You for placing that spark of Your divine nature within us, giving us the beautiful gifts of dreaming, shaping, and innovating. We look not only to our own interests, but Yours as well. Please purify our hearts and minds as we recognize the needs of others. Please give us the eyes to see those needs. Your creative works overcome all of our human works, and we thank You for the example of humility You have given us through Your Son, our Lord and Savior; Jesus Christ. Amen
Read: Isaiah 40:31, Proverbs 22:29, Galatians 6:9, 1 Corinthians 15:58, Proverbs 11:25
Weekly Memory Verse: “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 1 John 2:9-10, ESV