By David Coe
Facilitator, Yeshua Institute
It was a hot, humid South Florida day on Sept. 4, 1994, at Joe Robbie Stadium.
The field was a muddy mess! The Miami Dolphins were behind in the opening game of the NFL season, down 35-32 to the New England Patriots with just 3:25 left in the game.
Even though the Dolphins had the ball, they also had a fourth down with five yards to go for a first down. Things looked bleak for the Dolphins.
Instead of attempting to throw or run the ball five yards for the first down, the Dolphins decided to go deep.
Dolphins’ quarterback Dan Marino found wide receiver Irving Fryar running down the sideline and hit him in stride for a 35-yard touchdown, winning the game for the Dolphins. After catching the ball, Fryar knelt, pointed to himself and shook his head “no.” Then he pointed towards heaven and shook his head “yes” -- obviously giving God all of the credit, praise and glory.
The above story – which is true -- is also a metaphor for living out our life with Jesus.
How do we “Go Deep” with Jesus?
We have to start by trusting Him with our life and our eternity. It takes some time. Just like developing one’s football skills – or any skills, for that matter – it takes some practice.
- Start by finding a quiet place to pray – to talk -- to Jesus daily. Then listen for his response. Write down what you hear – whatever comes to mind.
- Read scripture daily. Try to study the scriptures, even memorize some passages.
- Try to find and join a small “prayer & share group” with trusted like-minded brothers and sisters in the faith.
- Read and study the lives of the early church fathers, and the saints of the Church.
- Attend Mass regularly and receive the sacraments of our church.
- Trust Jesus with your life and eternity.
- Serve others.
You will be glad you went deep -- especially when you find yourself in the muddy field of life, the odds are against you, and the ball is in the air -- headed towards you.
Going Deep resources
Here are some scripture passages to inspire and guide you to go deep in your spiritual life, taken from The Jerusalem Bible translation:
- “I am racing for the finish for the prize to which God calls us upwards to receive In Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14
- “All the runners in the stadium are trying to win, but only one of them gets the prize. You must run the same way, meaning to win.” 1 Corinthians 9:24
- “And so, we have no eyes for the things that are visible, but only for the things that are invisible; for the visible things last only for a time, and the invisible things are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:1
Here’s a quote to encourage us:
“If you were to bring together every earthly good from the creation of the world, it would not compare with the tiniest part of the possessions of heaven”. -St. Basil
If you don’t have a Bible handy, you can always go online to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, where you’ll find a complete edition of the Bible, as well as the daily readings from scripture for Mass – with the choice to read, listen or view them.
NOTE: David is a Catholic layman. He and his wife Sharon have been married for 49 years. They have three adult children, nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild. David is a Certified Facilitator for The Catholic Vision for Leading Like Jesus.