Return to Glory: It's Not Easy Being Green
Wearing green jerseys at home for the first time in 17 years, Willinghams golden domers couldnt seem to get out of their own way against the Eagles, turning the ball over 7 times, including a 71 yard interception return for a touchdown by Boston College linebacker Jason Ott that served as the game winner.
With an incredibly important win over Florida State last week, previously undefeated Notre Dame (8-1) appeared to be "for real" entering Saturdays fateful contest against the Eagles. Sports talk show hosts from coast to coast were trumpeting the Fighting Irishs return to glory following several disappointing seasons. The 34-24 win over the powerful Seminoles seemed only to galvanize their return to national prominence.
Despite an offense ranked 107th out of 118 Division 1-A football teams this season, fans seemed willing to overlook this rather glaring deficiency. For the last several weeks, the Fighting Irish faithful had been filling creaky but historic Notre Dame Stadium clothed in a sea of green "Return to Glory" t-shirts. The Fighting Irish were back and ready to challenge for yet another Notre Dame national championship.
Enter the green jerseys. Said Willingham, "I thought it was a good way to encourage our fans in our sea of green we have been talking about. It's important, because it talks about an attitude, about the Notre Dame family coming together as one."
Despite the silly notion that a green jersey can sway the outcome of a football game (it was laughable listening to NBCs sideline reporter compare the fabrics of the green and blue jerseys as a possible culprit for the Fighting Irish on field woes), Saturdays loss brought me back to the same question I had been asking myself about Notre Dame for the last month. That is, are they for real? In other words, do they have a shot at winning the national championship?
While the high charged, super duper, atomic timed, nuclear powered Bowl Championship Series (BCS) computer would tell us otherwise, with wins over remaining opponents Navy, Rutgers, and USC, Notre Dame will likely earn a berth into a BCS sanctioned bowl game. It will probably not be the national championship but a highly respectable one nonetheless.
Each November, I become even more bewildered and befuddled by the convoluted college bowl game selection process. Even with the advent of the aforementioned BCS computer rankings, I am always amazed that a team like Notre Dame, who has played so well the entire season, can be knocked out of national championship consideration by one loss. Consider this, assuming they win their remaining three games, the Fighting Irishs aspirations for winning a national title this year will most likely boil down to one play an errant pass thrown by backup quarterback Pat Dillingham that led to Otts touchdown.
Life is a lot like that. Often a bad decision made in a weak moment can lead to a lifetime of heartache, loneliness, and psychological peril. Bad financial decisions, a romantic blunder, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, can often destroy what was once a bright future. Sometimes it is not even as clear cut as that. It could be something as simple as leading a life in a manner not to your liking. Over time this lifestyle can wreak havoc on your emotions.
If what I have just described is the type of situation or lifestyle you find yourself in right now, I am here to tell you that there is a solution to these problems. God never fails us. You have probably heard that before but it is the absolute truth. With God, more specifically Jesus Christ in our lives, each day is a new beginning, or a fresh start to life. He is always right there waiting for us, wanting restore our hope, renew our strength, and replenish our defeated spirit to levels that overflow with joy.
In the Old Testament book of Lamentations, it says in chapter three, verses 22-24, "Through the Lords mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion says my soul, therefore I hope in Him!"
I am being completely honest here. People often say (maybe you are right now) that verses from the Bible are nothing more than just words on a page. They are chapter and verse written during a different era that has absolutely nothing to do with living in the twenty-first century. Wrong. The Bible is the living and applicable word, today, more than it ever was.
You can "return to glory" when you experience the divine presence of our Creator and Lord. We only grow stronger when we rely on his word. In return, He nourishes our souls. You can do this today. Just ask.
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