Wake

Most legacies don’t last very long.  Sports seem to have short memories, except when it comes to the “way” to play the game.  Long after the creators behind a particular style have gone, the style remains.  The “49ner” or “west coast” offense in American football is played by several teams even as the original teams are in an extended period of decline.  English football is recognized as one of the world’s best, even as the original teams which pioneered the current style of play are fighting their battles for survival.  The best coaches seem to be yesterday’s stars.  It seems they have finally learned and adopted the lessons they ignored when they were at their prime.  Yet when it comes to business, yesterday’s legacies are often forgotten by the very people who so desperately need them.
 
I wonder if I have learned anything from my teachers over the years.  At times I gain a bit of confidence, grasping at the small ways I have succeeded in honoring their gifts.  For the most part I sit and wonder at my forgetfulness.  It is as if I can hear their words echoing across time, always ending with a final question; “Do you finally believe?” (John 16.31)
 
I would like to scream out with confidence, “Yes!”  Yet I know the truth is often far away from that sound.  In truth I am similar to many who walk along beside me.  We struggle with the day to day hassles of life, many of our own creation.  We fight to understand our thirsts and desires, often consumed by our insecurity.  We treasure our values and priorities, yet idly watch and wait while opportunities to put them into practice go gently by. 
 
The beauty of a wake, especially behind a boat that is moving, is that it is always new.  We have a window, fresh with the dawn, unique in its shape and time, to make a difference.  There is nothing to prevent us from taking control of our lives.  Everything is present.   Everything is ready.  The time is now.  Let’s go.