Are you weeping for them?

Just a forewarning

I am going to talk about football.  But hang with me because I am only going to do it for like a minute and then I am going to get to the good stuff…

Just stay with me for a moment.

So anyone who actually knows me in real life knows that I am a HUGE KC Chiefs fan…like seriously…I am a big fan.  Once when I was a kid, I had this big idea that I could be a kid journalist.  Since I am a first born, “anything is possible” kind of person, I decided that I would start by writing a “Neighborhood News” weekly newspaper for my neighborhood.  (God bless them for actually acting like they were interested.)  Anyway, so once a week I would make up this cool little construction paper newspaper, write up some “news” articles, roll them up, tie them with a string, and go throw them onto the front porches of all my neighbors.  All sounds super cute, right?  Only problem was the only thing I ever wrote about in this weekly newspaper was the KC Chiefs.  Seriously.  True story.  I am sure my neighbors loved me.

I tell this little anecdote to show you that my love for football and for the KC Chiefs has been an almost life-long love.   My kids and I have all kinds of Chiefs gear.  I follow news in the off season, watch the draft online, start counting down the days in July, get giddy excited in August during pre-season, and talk about nothing else with my fellow football fans throughout the months of September through January.  I am the real deal fan.

So tonight when we lost, after having a 28 point lead at one point in the game and thus continuing our 20 yearlong streak of postseason losses, I was so upset.  The truth is I actually cried…like real, running down your face, all blotchy, tears.  It wasn’t pretty.  Then I got on Facebook and ranted about it with all my other KC Chiefs loving friends.  Finally, I decided I couldn’t handle anymore and I took a shower. 

But something happened while I was in there.

As I was lathering up, something more than soap and water started to wash over me.   The Lord really started to break my heart.  I didn’t feel like He was convicting me about my crazy passion for football or even about the fact that it is really all quite superficial.  He was calling to my attention my tears…tears over a silly football game. 

It was like He was asking me this:

“What about those babies and children that are going to bed tonight without food in their bellies because their family can’t afford milk and food?”

“Sara, are you weeping for them?”

“What about those kids suffering from preventable diseases and are slowing dying in beds and on dirt floors simply because there aren’t doctors and medicines available to treat them…”

“Are you weeping for them?”

“What about the young girls being passed between hundreds of men a day as sex slaves with no way out...”

“Are you weeping for them?”

“What about the little boy wetting his bed at night due to the fear of his father coming in and taking advantage of him while his mother sleeps…”

“Are you weeping for him?”

“What about the teenager who is considering taking his/her life because of the constant bullying he/she faces every day at school because of his beliefs, gender, race, sexual orientation, family, etc…”

“Are you weeping for him?”

“What about the hundreds of unborn babies being killed every single day all over the world...”

“Are you weeping for them?”

“What about the single mothers and fathers working 70 hours a week just to try and give their child a fighting chance in this world but yet never actually get to sit down for a family meal…”

“Are you weeping for them?”

“And what about the hundreds of thousands of people that are dying every single day without ever knowing the HOPE, JOY, and LOVE of an everlasting relationship with ME, Jesus Christ…”

“Sara, ARE YOU WEEPING FOR THEM?”

“ARE YOU WEEPING FOR THEM??”

Well, the truth is, I wasn’t weeping for them.  But I am now.  I am heartbroken.  When did I start caring more about the guys getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to play some game then I do for “the least of these” right outside my door who are truly suffering? 

 How did I let this happen?  Yes, I can cheer on my favorite team.  I can deck myself and my kids out in red and yellow.  I can pace around like a crazy lady and yell at my TV over a lousy play.  I can do all of those things.  But, I also better be on my knees at night crying out to God on behalf of those that don’t even have the strength to hope anymore.  I better be teaching my kids how to love…really love their neighbor and to be generous with their time, money, and friendship.  I better be doing something…anything…because that football game is just that…a game.

Real life stuff is happening out there, folks.  We can’t fix it all.  We can’t change it all.  We can’t save them all.  But, we can do something. 

We can be real life game-changers…

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, he has sent me BIND UP the brokenhearted, to proclaim LIBERTY to the captives, and the OPENING OF THE PRISON to those who are bound, to PROCLAIM the year of the LORD’S FAVOR; and the day of vengeance of our God; to COMFORT all who mourn…”

-Isaiah 611:1-2