Chasing Rabbits

He grew up chasing rabbits...literally. That is what young boys did in the small Florida community of Belle Glade where he grew up. If they caught as many as twenty rabbits they could sell them for $3 a piece! It was a way to make money in a high poverty area of Florida. It was also a way to become a fast runner. The young boys would catch these rabbits by hand which meant they had to run them down, and running in the muck of Lake Okeechobee was an excellent means of leg strength conditioning.

What good could come from the mud and muck of Belle Glade, Florida? In the early 1980's the Belle Glade community had the highest rate of AIDS infection in the country. In 2003, it had the second-highest violent crime rate in the United States. More than twenty-five percent of the residents live below the poverty line. Indeed, Belle Glade has been a "muddy" place to grow up.

But, out of the muck and mud have come champions! Glades Central High School , the only high school in the town, has produced at least nineteen professional football players. Monday, one former Glades Central Raider rode in a convertible with Mickey Mouse at a Disney World parade because he is one of those champions. Santonio Holmes grew up chasing rabbits in the mud in Belle Glade in order to make a few bucks and, in the process, became a speedy wide receiver. Sunday, he made the biggest catch of his life, and it wasn't a rabbit. It was the game-winning touchdown for the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers!

After nine catches with one hundred thirty-one yards and the game-winning touchdown, Santonio Holmes was named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XLIII!

Rising from the mud and muck to become a Most Valuable Player is an amazing story. This can be our story as followers of Christ! How can you and I be named a Most Valuable Player in the game of life? I share these verses to give you clues:

"He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

"And without faith it is impossible to please God." Hebrews 11:6

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, love your neighbor as yourself." Luke 10:27

In order to rise from the mud and muck and be a Most Valuable Player in the game of life, we must act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with our God, live by faith, love God with everything we are and have, and love others. If we do these things, then one day we will hear Jesus say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"

What other Bible verses can you add to this list that would answer the question, "What should I do to be a Most Valuable Player in the game of life?" I would welcome your comments.

Not to Chase Rabbits, But...

Tell me what you think about this comment:

"God doesn't owe us anything. In fact, if he did, he wouldn't be God."


I found information about Santonio Holmes for this entry from the article, "Steelers' Holmes Traces Speed to Humble, Rabbit-chasing Roots," by Kevin Acee, Union-Tribune staff writer, January 30, 2009. The article can be seen at www.signonsandiego.com

Information about Glade Central High School came from www.wikipedia.com.