Well, I guess the Lord's Prayer works

For the 9th Grade Glenn High School Basketball Team and Coach Byrne

He has dreamed about that since he could talk and walk and hold a ball.  His first word was ball. He has practiced that shot over and over again in his head, in my living room, in his bedroom, in the gym, in the driveway.  Last count, we have 10 basketballs at my house.  I was not happy the day happy Vance and he were playing in the living room and broke a peice of my pottery.  They tried to hide it from me.  The half court in my living room was history after that.  I bought his goal you know.  Weird, huh?  That Vance didn’t and I did.  Not that Vance didn’t want to; it is just how it worked out.  Another one of those games where it didn’t look like they were going to win, but they did and I won $250 and became a Maryland fan.  It  just seemed fitting to buy a basketball goal with the winnings.

So, it was 4.4 seconds to go.  They were playing their cross town rivals. They were down by three and had trailed most of the game and at one point were down by 10 points.  It kind of looked like the game was over.  But they never gave up.  They never quit playing.  They believed somewhere deep inside, it wasn't over. It's what they do best.  Play hard and keep each other up.  The ball was in bounded to Davis and he took the ball up the court and dribbled past two defenders and at the buzzer, two steps away from the three point line, he took the shot, banked it and made it.  Game tied. OT.  It was one of those shots, you just can’t believe.  It was the kind of stuff dreams are made of.  Shots like that.  If you are lucky enough to play basketball and lucky enough to be in a game like that and lucky enough to take that shot, about once in a lifetime you will make it.  It is why you take the shot.   You might make it.  And they won in OT.  Davis told them in the locker room, “guys it was just a lucky shot.”  The team said, “Well, then, guess that Lord’s Prayer works.”

It does.  And truth be told, that is the most important lesson Coach Byrne has been teaching.  It works. It will work when nothing else in your life will.  I don’t know if it wins ballgames, I don’t know if God chooses sides during ballgames, and I don’t know if angels are sitting on the rim just waiting to tap the game tying shot in or not. And I don't know if praying determines the outcome of games.  Ray Lewis said it last night after his team won in OT too.   It works. So, remember, guys it works.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed is Your name…

 Always remember guys from where you came and that really you have nothing to prove because God has already approved of you.  It works, you know, your Coach told you it did.

Your kingdom come, your will be down on earth as it is heaven….

Always remember to pray that your hearts will stay open and that you have the wisdom to make good choices.  It works, you know.

Give us this day, our daily bread.

God gives what you need.  Remember to be thankful and it will be ok.  Your Coach told you it works. 

Forgive our sins as we forgive those who hurt us.

Always be the one who always apologizes first, it is the only way happiness can last.  Be friends with the one person you have to you have to pray to love and it makes everyone scratch their heads, and say, “huh?”  It works, you know.  

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.

Pray for your enemies so stubbornly until your enemies are illusions and everyone is your friend.  It works, you know.

For the kingdom, the power, the glory is Yours forever.

It works you, know.

It will work in the classroom when you don’t know what to do.

It will work when the world is coming down on you.

It will work when it feels like no one loves you anymore.

It will work when you are scared to the core and you don’t know who to turn to anymore.

It will work.  No guessing about it guys, it works and that is miracle.  When you remember that game, when you remember how good it feels to win and how good it feels to run up and down that court, remember the most important thing…the only thing…the most important thing the Coach taught you..

The Lord’s Prayer, it works.