FAIR WINDS & FOLLOWING SEAS: Faithful Reflections on a Military Retirement

It’s been more than 7 years since I delivered this retirement speech. I’ve never been so nervous in my life — for so many reasons. In hindsight, it’s easy to see the Lord’s hand at work between then and now, but in the moment, I’d be lying if I told you that I had no doubts. It’s therapeutic for me to re-read elements of the story God’s woven together in my life – hopefully this story of His faithfulness is therapeutic for some of you as well:

“To those of you who really know me, it doesn’t come as a surprise to any of you that I’ve chosen to hold my ceremony in a chapel. That said, I feel it’s only fair to those who don’t know me as well, that I send a proverbial ‘shot across the bow’ – it may get a bit ‘churchy’ in this chapel. You won’t offend me, at all, if you decide to move on, but I hope you’ll stay – particularly if you’ve flown in from out of town.

Full disclosure, I didn’t initially want to take part in a retirement ceremony (not my own, at least); I’m completely uncomfortable with the idea of taking center stage, and focusing on myself, or accomplishments I’ve been involved with. Through some gentle prodding of those who love me, we’re here, today – not to celebrate me, but to celebrate the people and events that have contributed to our life to this point. Thank you for joining my family and I on this trip down memory lane. If I know anything about myself, it’s that when it comes to public speaking, I’ll more than likely ramble if I’m off script, and approach light speed if reading through a script; for your sakes, I’ll try to find a happy medium.

While pondering my retirement the other day, it occurred to me that not a single person that I grew up with (Father, Mother, Brothers, etc.) was able to be here, today. Admittedly, at first, I was a bit saddened by this thought, but my sadness was quickly replaced by gratitude when I took a step back and realized that the opposite was, in fact, true – most EVERYone I’d grown up with is in attendance. While I would never discount the impact folks like my mother and brothers had on me, I was FAR from grown when I joined the Navy. FAR from grown when I met and married the love of my life. You all ARE the family I’ve grown up with – for 22 years, you are what I’ve known. Thank you all for taking the time to reflect with me on our share of U.S. Naval history.

Key Moments & Course Corrections

As I thought over these many years, I began to ponder the specific events that led me to this point. There have been several key moments which have marked significant course corrections in my life; listed chronologically, they are –

My mother’s marriage to Terry Dilts, who was charged with making up for years of missing fatherly discipline – I believe he made up for most of it within the first 6 mos – thank you. But what I am most thankful for regarding my mother’s marriage to Terry, is that he took the time to ensure I was introduced to the single greatest influence on my life as a man going forward – Jesus Christ. While the marriage only lasted awhile, my relationship with Christ has lived on, and has colored most every aspect of my life.

In Psalm 68:5, God proclaims Himself ‘a Father to Fatherless’, and that has never been more true than in my life.

In the years leading up to my salvation, I had been involved in some very unsavory types of behavior that, left unattended, would probably have led me to darker places — probably prison. During those years, when a father was desperately needed, God sent Terry to intervene.

During the crucial high school years, when a father was so desperately needed, and Terry was no longer present to force me away from poor decisions, God did infinitely more and sent Christ to intervene – from that moment on, I would never be ‘Fatherless’ again.

Then came the Navy. When I needed someone to teach me what it meant to be a man of integrity – one who served others with values like ‘Honor’, ‘Courage’, and ‘Commitment’, God sent the Navy. As I grew in the Navy, eventually donning the khaki uniform you see, today, I began to see reflections of the God I’d come to know in many of the lessons we preach to our Sailors as we, in turn, train them to be men and women of integrity. Lessons like:

Humility

Patience

Strength in Adversity

Servant Leadership

Sacrifice

Mentorship (or Discipleship)

While I wouldn’t begin to tell you that the Navy has been an entirely ‘holy’ petri dish (any of you who has served on Submarines knows better), I am certainly able to testify that God can use anyone (or any institution) to accomplish His purpose; with or without the institution’s acknowledgment of His existence.

My next major course correction? The day I met my wife. I can’t list my marriage, because my course correction arrived the moment I saw her sitting there on the quarterdeck at the Defense Language Institute. Although it took her a little while to come around to my way of thinking, she immediately made me want to be a better man.

The births of my children. The idea of fatherhood scared me to death – still does. How in the world was I equipped or qualified to train another human being in ‘the ways of the Force’? You’d be amazed at what a gracious God has left us in Scripture, and how willing our more experienced friends are to share their wisdom.

Lessons Learned:

Like any successful operation, I’d be remiss if I failed to wrap-up with a ‘lessons learned’. Bear with me as I take a few moments to reflect on a few service members who’ve left a lasting impression:

From MSgt Sevening, while assigned to Naval Security Group Activity Kunia, I learned how to follow – not as natural an inclination as you might think considering my firm belief that I had already learned everything there was to learn.

From Senior Chief Dana Steele while serving as Command Investigator for Naval Air Station Fallon, I learned that genuine leadership transcends the rank on your collars.

From the fallout of an ill-timed smart-aleck exchange between my protégé, CTI3 (now LT) Houston Benson, and our Leading Chief Petty Officer, Senior Chief Randy Tillman, I learned what it means to be accountable for the actions (and words) of your people.

From an NROTC Commander who shall remain nameless, I learned that there is no such thing as a bad leader – only leaders from whom you learn ‘what to do’, and leaders from whom you learn ‘what not to do’. They all provide input into our development as leaders, whether we mimic their behaviors, or use them as ‘lessons learned’ is up to us.

From Master Chief Bill Singer, I learned that volume and vulgarity are poor substitutes for calm, concise communication. His even-keeled approach to leadership gave me confidence that I could succeed as a Chief Petty Officer.

From Master Chief (Retired) Rick Berger, I learned that the oft-used phrase ‘Once a Chief, always a Chief’ is 100% accurate. I learned as much about what it means to be ‘the Chief’ from Rick after his alleged retirement, than I did from the majority of the active duty Chiefs I’d encountered before or since.

From Master Chief Dave Gutierrez, I learned the truth of the verse in Proverbs 18:24 that says “…there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proud to know you, Brother.

From Master Chief Pam Bishop, I learned about the value of compassionate leadership – no Chief I’ve served with has ever cared more about the lives of her Sailors. Pam, you were always a tough act to follow, but it was my honor to have followed you into so many assignments throughout the years.

From Senior Chief Travis Bishop, I learned the absolute value of leadership with passionate conviction; if your Sailors can feel that you believe deeply in what you’re preaching, you’ll reach even the most challenging Sailors.

From Master Chief Barry Armstrong, I learned about the merits of empathy over instruction. Barry’s in Korea, so he was unable to be here, but if you ever get a copy of this, Brother, “Your message got through.”

Take-aways:

It would be tough to find any Genuine Chief worth his or her salt who would pass up the opportunity to provide a few nuggets of wisdom for those who have yet to walk this path, so here they are:

1) We all enter life with the same, empty vessel. This vessel is filled with what others pour into us (whether God, your wife, your friends, or your shipmates), and emptied by what we pour into others. The career of a Sailor is no different. As long as we continue to seek out opportunities to allow others to fill our vessels, we’ll always have more to give. The instant you think you’ve arrived, you’ve probably outlived your usefulness to those around you.

2) When it comes to your development as a leader, be you, only better. The pretense of an artificial leadership style is pungent, and your peers and subordinates will smell it from miles away. The influences that have made you successful to this point, will continue to feed your success – add the practices of successful mentors to the core of who you are as a leader, rather than attempting to mimic the core of those you admire.

3) Care for your Sailors as you would your own children. Love and discipline are not mutually exclusive. Praise them loudly and publicly when they’ve earned the praise, hold them accountable and allow them to suffer the consequences of their actions when they’ve earned discipline, and build them back up when they’ve owned their mistakes and are ready to move on – there’s little worse than a spoiled Sailor, but little more impressive than a Sailor who truly grasps that their service is not about them.

Thank Yous – I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I will leave somebody out in saying my final thank yous, but I will do my best to hit a large chunk:

God – In each of His roles in my life – Father, Friend, Counselor, Comforter, Rock, and Savior – God has been faithful, even when I have not. Words are insufficient to express my gratitude to a God whose love and forgiveness is not dependent on how ‘good’ I’ve been, but is dependent on how GREAT He is. Thank you.

Beth – On this earth, no force has had a greater impact on the man I am, today, than you, Beth. Without ever receiving or desiring the credit she deserves, she has served behind the scenes to stabilize the foundation of our family. There is no creation like the Navy wife, but with apologies to the dedicated military spouses in the audience, Beth is the best there is. ‘Thank you’ doesn’t even begin to describe my gratitude – I love you, Sweetie. Proverbs 31 asks, “A wife of noble character, who can find her?” Who can find her? Apparently I can.

Hannah – You’re my first child, and you’re the only girl. I thought it was some kind of cruel joke that my first child was a little girl since I’d grown up with nothing but boys. I was terrified that I’d mess you up, somehow, and I guess, since you’re a lot like me, I kinda did. Sorry. I’m so proud of the young woman you’ve become, of your heart for the Lord, and your heart for others. God has BIG things in store for you. As the oldest, our time in the Navy has probably had the greatest impact on your life. I still have vivid images of you trying to bravely hold back tears as I said goodnight for the last time before deploying, again. While some have used these negative experiences as ammunition to feed a sense of victimization by their parents’ service, you’ve never chosen that route; thank you for rising above – your resilience made the unbearable, bearable. I love you, Sweetie. P.S. The house has a much stronger smell of testosterone since you graduated, please come home from time to time to give your poor mom a break.

Carson – I’m so proud of your character. When I look at you, I can’t help but be reminded of how faithful God has been to deliver on His promise to provide wisdom to those who ask for it. While I was concerned about raising a little girl, I was confident in my back-up – Beth could help to train Hannah in the ways of womanhood. For you? I had to learn how to be a father from a patch work of other fathers I’d seen in action, and I was honestly concerned. While I haven’t been able to pass on hunting, fishing, car repair, or carpentry, I see daily evidence that you’ve embraced your Spiritual heritage. You have wisdom beyond your years, a compassionate heart, and a strength of character rarely seen in fully mature men. I love you, Son, and I’m so grateful to have been part of your life.

Logan – What can I say, Son? You have a rare combination of tough and tender. Your willingness to take initiative, combined with your desire to challenge anything that doesn’t make sense, makes you every Chief’s dream, and every Chief’s nightmare at the same time. It has been an absolute joy to watch you grow, and I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am that I’ve been given a chance to be your Dad. I know this much about you, Son – you WILL be a leader. It’s a gift – use it wisely. I love you, Logan!

Mom (Ramona Faust) – You’ve given everything of yourself to make sure we had the opportunity to grow into the men we are today. Thank you.

Marc – You’ve served as Brother by blood, Father-figure, Mentor, Friend, and Brother-in-Arms; no man has had a greater impact on my life, and I thank you. I wish you could be here, today, but I couldn’t be more proud of you as you carry out God’s work in Ecuador. Love ya’, Brother!

Eden – Whether or not this is the life for you, thank you for allowing me to usher you into the Navy and mentor you through the tough times. As beneficial as I hope it’s been for you, it has definitely been even more beneficial for me. I love you, Niece. I’m unspeakably proud of you.

Dave, Travis, Pam & Denver – Thank you for making the trip. ‘Good’ friends come along every once in awhile, but ‘great’ friends are usually once in a lifetime. As evidenced by your willingness to travel such a great distance to share this with us, I’ve been blessed with several ‘great’ friends.

Micah – Thank you for putting on this retirement, and for presenting me in a better light than I deserve. You’re the man.

LCDR Disch – Hands-down, the best Officer I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. Trust and empowerment are powerful motivators, and nobody I’ve worked with has ever wielded them more effectively.

BUPERS-32 Family – If you’d have told me that, as a Senior Chief, I’d be in an office where I was the junior Sailor, I’d have thought you were nuts. Thanks for never making me feel like the ‘Junior Man’ in the office. You all have made this one of the best tours of my career.

PERS-408 Family – Many of the faces have changed, but the mission hasn’t gotten any easier; our communities are better for having you all at the helm. Easy to lose your place in the Navy while serving in that role; hang in there.

The Officers, Chiefs, and White-Hats I’ve been blessed to count as shipmates along the way — This is a catch-all, but really, this is what it’s all about. Thank you for propping me up when I couldn’t stand on my own, and allowing me to carry your load in return from time-to-time. It’s the people that will cause me to reflect most fondly on my time in the United States Navy — not the ceremony, not the uniform, not the history, not the great food.

Once again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you all for sharing these moments with us. For the Chiefs in the audience, when things wrap up here, I know you’ve got a place to be – go forth and train the next generation – my feelings will never be hurt if you choose leadership over lunch; for the remainder, if you’re able, please feel free to join us for a small reception immediately following. Thank you all, and may God continue to bless you, your families, and the United States Navy!”

An Unmasking of Sanctification

I love genuine people; I crave their company.

Undoubtedly, masks are a part of the human condition – a survival mechanism of sorts, but I would argue that we often confuse being sanctified with being dipped in some sort of golden covering. Sanctification begins from within, replacing the old with the new, one Godless imperfection at a time.

As those imperfections are pushed out, it’s as though they are pushed out through our pores. Not only do the masks we don cover the imperfections, they steal another person’s opportunity to watch the imperfections miraculously transform into something inexplicably Divine – in effect, we rob the world around us of the miracle of our sanctification.

Just a thought…

Carpe Diem: A Broncos Country Exhortation

While scrolling through Training Camp Twitter feed over the past couple of days, I ran across a heart-warming clip. As a lifelong, diehard Broncos Fan, you might think I’d run across old footage of Peyton’s 24-point comeback win against the Chargers on Monday Night Football, or perhaps an old GIF of Sir Ed McCaffrey stiff arming the very soul out of some poor defensive back, but no, it was something much less team-centric – something that strikes a chord in the heart of sports fans everywhere. The scene that stopped me on a dime was simple, pure, and profound. The setting was some sideline in Chicago, but the story was centered on a wiry, energetic little fella, sporting full game-day regalia – his head adorned with an authentic helmet so large he could have been mistaken for a gargantuan lollipop. Next in line for his turn at the autograph table, he froze, mouth agape, staring silently for a moment at his idol. It was a dream come true. Tripping over the words he’d probably been rehearsing for hours as he waited in the queue, the young man finally came to his senses and very deliberately eked out the simple but seemingly impossible phrase, “I’m your biggest fan!”

Maybe it’s because I’m a father, maybe it’s because I’m a grandfather, maybe it’s just because some part of that little human lollipop still lives in me, but that scene really struck me. Early on in my football fandom, I did what every fan does – I latched onto my chosen ‘Face-of-the-Franchise’ and went all in. Before I truly understood anything about the Xs and Os of the game I’ve come to love, I was able to recognize dominant play as well as anyone with an untrained eye, leading me to attach myself to the first transcendent athlete of my youth – Karl Mecklenburg, #77, of the Denver Broncos. While I’ve never had the opportunity to meet this fierce competitor, most of the early memories of my Denver Broncos involve sitting under the football tutelage of my super-fan grandmother while I scanned the field or sidelines for the legendary ‘Albino Rhino’. In time, my personal Pantheon of Broncos Legends would grow to include obvious additions the likes of John ‘The Duke’ Elway, Steve ‘The Smilin’ Assassin’ Atwater, Shannon Sharpe, Terrell Davis, Rod Smith, and ‘Easy’ Ed McCaffrey. From childhood to adulthood, these men became like a sort of family to me – we spent weekends, many evenings, and even the occasional holiday together. I celebrated when they celebrated, I mourned when they mourned, and I cringed when they got hit – just as I would have with any family member. They were with me during my Colorado childhood, they moved with me to 12 different states and across multiple continents, and they connected me to home during prolonged U.S. Navy deployments. They were family. And yet, somewhere in between Colorado and Bahrain, a cold realization set in.

I remember, well, the day I heard of Steve Atwater’s release and subsequent signing with the New York Jets. The dreaded and cold-hearted release. Of a genuine legend. A family member. A Hall of Famer. Upon signing with the New York Jets, the Los Angeles Times quoted the Broncos Legend as saying:

“The former team I played with, I think they felt like I couldn’t play anymore …. I’d like to show them and show the world that Steve Atwater can still play football.” (L.A. Times Archives)

He was crushed, and he deserved better. It was in that moment that the lollipop-headed uber-fan inside of me died the first of what would be many minor deaths. If this is what we do with a Legend, what hope does the longshot have of career-long loyalty from a team? The answer? None. I would love for this to be the kind of piece that offers hope of a return to a simpler time, but this will not be that kind of article. I long for it, and I truly mourn the loss of a time when a player and a team were so closely intertwined that neither would have dreamed of breaking those ties for fear of causing irreparable harm to the other. What, then, is the point of an article that points to such tragedy and offers no silver lining? Carpe Diem. Seize the Day.

While you’ll rarely read anything I’ve written that fails to appeal to a more eternal perspective, in this article – and specifically as it relates to this topic, be where your feet are. Right now, in this moment, your Denver Broncos are loaded at several key positions. There’s a bevy of young, superstar talent on every side of the ball, and we’ve been blessed with yet another elite, high character talent at the game’s most critical position (https://crossanchorreflections.wordpress.com/2022/04/02/emerging-from-the-shadows-an-historical-rationale-for-celebration-denver-broncos-edition/) – live in the now. Where will all of this talent be in three years? God alone knows. In this moment, however, whether you’re a Walton, a Penner, a GM, a coach, a player, a media member, or a fan, it’s time – time to pour yourself completely into ‘today’. Tomorrow will care for itself, but ‘today’, we have an opportunity to harken back to the days of our childhood fandom, to a simpler time when the joys of the game were enough to – at least momentarily – allay the concerns of our day-to-day. Let’s enjoy the ride, Broncos Country – we may not know what tomorrow brings, but by all accounts (except maybe one, and you know who you are) today is looking pretty strong, my Friends!         

Photo Credit: AP Photo/John Gaps III

Wisdom in Context

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” – James 1:5, NIV

Words mean something. Their substance, their sequence, their placement in the paragraph or on the page, their tone, and their context within the scope of the greater work. Words are important. For this reason, if for no other, it’s critical that we exercise caution in our wielding of these words in isolation from the greater context; this is particularly true when referencing the Word of God. So, when we read through a statement such as that above – “If any of you lacks wisdom … ask God … and it will be given to you” – we owe it to the integrity of the text and to ourselves to dig just a little deeper. If, in faith, we believe that God will grant us this wisdom ‘without finding fault’, why is it that we so often feel as though we’ve been left standing at the altar, awaiting this sudden and magical bestowal of divine insight? We’ve asked for wisdom, and we’ve ‘believed and not doubted’ (James 1:6), but we still don’t feel any closer to the sorts of unique insights we desire – in fact, we often find that instead of receiving insightful solutions, we encounter a more focused flood of unique problem sets, requiring an entirely new application of wisdom. How can this be? Did we miss a word or intonation in our initial wisdom inquiry? And there lies the importance of associating the verse with the entirety of the text. Let’s back up just a few verses to see what led us to this point. James begins his letter with what appears to be a slightly different focus –

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” – James 1:1-4

In a vacuum, it would certainly appear that the wisdom we seek from God during life’s most challenging circumstances would come in the form of an on-demand infusion – like filling up at the corner gas station (only hopefully less expensive). When considered within context of the remainder of Scripture, however, a wisdom infusion is a lot more akin to a smelting process of sorts – an intentional melting down of those support structures we’ve come to rely on in lieu of our reliance on God. In their molten and malleable forms, these raw and previously ill-employed materials are often refined and repurposed by the Father through the trials we’ve been admonished to file under ‘pure joy’ (James 1:1). But… is perseverance through a painful repurposing truly the desired end state of a Believer’s refinement? James continues his enlightenment of the audience by answering that very question with “…so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” If the end goal is that we are ‘complete’ and ‘not lacking anything’, why (in the very next sentence) would James immediately exhort us to ask God for something we lack? Shouldn’t this have been accomplished in the refinement process of the trial we just endured – you know, the process that was intended to end with our being made ‘complete’? And here we have the point of today’s scriptural musings – context matters. Although our use of scripture as a society is oftentimes utilized in a way that best suits our bite-sized world, relegation of scripture to Twitterable Hallmark slogans leaves a great deal of significant content on the outside looking in. Extracted from the context of James’ epistle in its entirety, for example, a Believer might be confused by the Lord’s answering of his faithful request for wisdom by introducing a root-strengthening trial, instead. Within the context of his writing in its entirety, however, the Christ-Follower is fully aware that the Lord – in His sovereignty – may well intend to answer her request for divinely-inspired wisdom with a spiritual decathlon, uniquely designed to bring about a strengthening of faith… and, yes, also a wisdom that can only be found through a maturation brought about by the Spirit’s refining work within us.

So after following James’ logic trail now we’ve come to what I believe to be a major point of James’ exhortation:

Wisdom comes from refinement – a refinement that only God can bring about. This refinement, however, does not come from our abilities to try a little harder, or to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps – it is initiated when God evaluates and targets the flesh-fashioned obstacles that prevent us from being able to see a situation or analyze a challenge with His eyes. From the moment we’ve entered into a covenantal relationship with God through the willing sacrifice of His Son, we are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20); we are His to sand, shape, shave, and shine as He sees fit in order to demolish barriers to our transformation into His likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18). For those who have had a genuine encounter with Jesus Christ, remaining as we once were has never been on the table, and as such, it is His intentional (sometimes painful) development of us toward His image – rather than an innocuous, genie-like bestowal – that will produce the sort of godly wisdom James has encouraged us to beg of God. When this is the type of wisdom we seek – a wisdom that allows us to reason through life’s conundrums from a renewed and supernatural perspective – we consciously commit into the Lord’s hands the process of our transformation, trusting that His designs for the development of His children are wholly benevolent, and bear the unique hallmark of a divinely eternal perspective.

Need a shot of wisdom? I’ll second James’ exhortation – you should absolutely ask God, “who gives generously to all without finding fault,” but as with all inoculations, it’s only fair to attach a proper warning:

“WARNING: Context matters. Please read instruction manual in context and in its entirety. This infusion of wisdom may be highly personalized, and may involve extensive discomfort resulting from your active participation in the sanctification process. Use as directed to facilitate completeness and growth into the likeness of Christ.”

A Followership of Fear: Reframing the Narrative

Ever been asked to follow a leader whose preferred motivational tool was ‘fear’? If you’ve been blessed to have escaped that scenario to this point in your life, I offer my congratulations, but how about this – ever make the ‘safe’ decision (or perhaps even fail to make a decision) based on your concern for opposition or consequences, even when you knew in your soul that God was pushing you or your team toward something bigger – something less comfortable? In both instances, if we’re honest, I imagine most of us can answer ‘yes’ to each of these questions.

While we can’t control the leadership styles of those God’s put in charge of us any more than we can control the world events or politics of our day, we can control the focus of our followership. If the leader under whose authority God has placed us has chosen to wield fear as a weapon to control those in his or her charge, resolve to focus on working as unto the Lord, instead. Choose to respond to tyranny with love, rather than submit to a followership rooted in fear. Let your service with excellence be marked by your loyalty to the Lord rather than by fear of disappointing an influential leader, or reprisal resulting from failure to meet the earthly standards levied against you. To do otherwise is idolatry – an intellectual dethroning of the Trinity, due to the overvaluation of man or the overestimation of our ‘insurmountable’ circumstances.

I’ll leave you, today, with this – our God is worthy. Above all kingdoms, above all rulers (including & especially those who profess Christ), and above all circumstances – our God is worthy of His rightful place. Today, perhaps you’ll find yourself tempted to shift your focus to appeasement of an authoritarian leader, or perhaps you’ll recognize that you’re listing toward being driven by fear of circumstances or failure. Whichever fear you may be tempted to use as a motivational substitute for serving as unto the Lord, pray, instead, as the Psalmist did – in full recognition of the One who is the source of all authority; the One who holds the universe and all of its troubles in the palm of His hand:

“But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord; in you I take refuge…” Psalms 141:8a NIV

The NFL Draft: The Folly of False Dichotomy

We live in a world bent on creating dichotomy – we’re not societally programmed to be okay with two preferences being equally legitimate. If I choose something ‘other than’ – it must be opposed. There are moral imperatives on which a person should stand firm – things like ice cream flavors, choice of protein at your favorite burrito bar, or draft picks, however? Well, while it may be that you’ve recently concluded an earth-scorching argument about any of these, these are not worthy of bloodshed, my friends – or even potential loss of friends or family, believe it or not.

Each year about this time, those of us who love the game – and particularly those of us who love ‘the game behind the game’ – run through a predictable gamut of emotions (from turmoil to bliss) as we process the personnel moves of our favorite franchise. If you’re like me, by the time round one of the NFL Draft kicks off, you’ve watched every practice rep of every all-star game, scoured the internet for every one-on-one interview, reviewed hours of tape, conducted thousands of mock-drafts, and become virtual stalker to a few dozen prospects that would be ‘perfect’ for your team’s roster needs. You’ve listened to hundreds of hours of expert analysis, read every insightful article, and perhaps – if you’re really afflicted – invested significant portions of the last year reviewing salary cap considerations and potential front-office personnel trends. If you’re not like me? Well, God bless you – your friends, co-workers, and family are appreciative, I’m sure.

My point, here? My first point is this:

We, the fans, media, and armchair GMs of the world, are invested – some mildly, some heavily – but in either case, we have an understandably vested interest in the personnel decisions of our favorite franchise. Having said that, even the most closely connected and deeply invested peripheral member of the Broncos’ inner and outer circles has nowhere near the skin in the game that George Paton’s very capable staff has. If I, as a die-hard Broncos Country Draftnik, should happen to go 2 for 9 in terms of accuracy for my final mock draft (which may or may not have actually happened), I may take a hit to my pride or perhaps lose a few Twitter followers. If George Paton’s team hits on 2 of 9 draft picks, however? There will be adjustments made to their collective realities. Keeping this in mind, I would suggest that while the thoughts of King George and his Scouting Court did not necessarily align with much of what I’d come up with (at least in terms of the specific names of those drafted), they undoubtedly scouted and selected players they believe will help to perpetuate their limited but promising trend of wildly successful offseason moves.

My second point:

This may come as a surprise to someone reading this, right now, but there may very well be more than one right answer. In fact, I would go so far as to say that what we – the fans, media, and bystanders – when attempting to analyze and address the roster concerns of our favorite franchises, may actually be answering an entirely different question than the question being addressed by our front offices. If, in reference to this particular draft, a fanbase has determined that the proverbial alligator-closest-to-the-boat is the historically revolving door at Right Tackle, then the fanbase would naturally come to the conclusion that the front office ‘got it wrong’. If, however, George Paton is balancing holistic phase deficiencies (i.e. Special Teams, Offense, Defense, and Special Teams… I said, ‘Special Teams’…) with future roster deficiencies created by expiring contracts the particulars of which most fans have barely considered, then perhaps this added context would allow us to give a little more grace to his team’s answers, and shine a more critical spotlight on our own ‘right’ answers. In fairness, draft-crush is a very real illness, and countless thousands across the Twitter-verse suffer from this debilitating condition – typically between the months of January and May. It may be that a suffering soul has spent so much virtual time studying the strengths, weaknesses, and proclivities of his or her favorite prospect that his or her own family has taken a backseat to their new-found virtual crush. So when your team of choice passes on your new-found athletic cyber-stalking victim, it’s only natural to feel somewhat crest-fallen and… well… draft-crushed.

My final point, and then you’ll be rid of me until the next time I’m feeling inspired:

Contrary to some sentiments popularly expressed throughout the Twitter-verse, preferring one prospect over another does not make you ‘right’, it does not make you ‘wrong’, and it does not mean that you are inherently hateful – either toward pundit/fan/media-member or toward the prospect over whom you’ve preferred a different prospect. Time and time again, we’ve collectively witnessed the volatility of the NFL Draft – those who “will never pan out” pan out, and those who “can’t miss” do, in fact, miss. Sure, there are also many occasions where a “can’t miss” prospect is exactly as advertised, but that doesn’t mean that he is the only ‘right’ choice. What do Von Miller, Patrick Peterson, Julio Jones, and J.J. Watt have in common? Right. They were all taken in Round One of the 2011 NFL Draft. Each will finish his career in the conversation for the NFL Hall of Fame at his respective position, and NFL fanbases could argue ad nauseam about which was the ‘best’ selection – which is precisely the point: There is an argument to be made. Now, if we were to shake up the 2011 NFL Draft like a magic 8-ball, reshuffling the selecting franchises of each prospective Hall-of-Fame player, would their new environments have allowed them to achieve similar levels of success? Not a one of us knows, but what we do know, is that none was the ‘wrong’ decision. Did I complete even one mock draft with the same nine players chosen by George Paton? No. But even if I stubbornly hold on to every one of my receipts in hopes of demonstrating my worth as a talent evaluator, the eventual success of my would-be Broncos is infinitely less significant than the actual success of the actual Broncos selected by the Honorable George Paton.

Embrace these players, Broncos Country! Lick your draft-crush inflicted wounds – as I also tend to my own – and get back in the saddle. George Paton needs us… Well, maybe not… But a team is only as strong as its weakest link, and as long as there are those of us who’ve bought into the sports psychology that allows us to say ‘WE’ when talking up our favorite team – the last thing ‘WE’ want is to be identified as the weakest link. And while my eternal optimism would have me to proclaim this most any year, this year I believe we can feel a great deal more confident in collectively proclaiming: “Super Bowl or bust, Broncos Country” – in spite of the fact that King George’s Court did not take my calls during the NFL Draft!

Photo credit: Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

The Purpose of Purpose: Employing Your ‘Why’

I was asked recently by a good friend and fellow Veteran to speak on the topic of ‘Citizenship’, and I must confess, I felt ill-equipped – honored, but ill-equipped. That’s not to say that I’ve not been blessed with many opportunities to serve as a citizen in both uniformed and non-uniformed capacities, but I would be lying if I said that ‘Citizenship’ was my motivation for service. That said, I agreed to jump in, and like so many things in my life, determined I’d figure out how to pull the ripcord after I’d left the plane.

Time-travel with me for a moment…

The year was 2004… I was in the middle of a four month submarine deployment, submerged in an undisclosed location on the other side of the world.

While being submerged in a windowless metal tube for months on end may be enough of a challenge for many, this particular deployment was a little bit different – yes, you’re dealing with the typical things that all deployed service-members encounter when separated from the people they love, only this time, wearing a dosimeter to gauge how much radiation I’d absorbed while onboard this particular nuclear vessel. What made this trip just a little different, however, was that somehow or another, prior to submerging, I had contracted some sort of odd infection in my ankle while on shore waiting for a repair to be made to the submarine. As a result, my ankle and foot had swollen to twice their usual size – needless to say, navigating the many ladders of a submarine with a compromised limb was not ideal.

Now, at this point, it’s probably important to give you a little insight into how a submarine works, otherwise, the remainder of this story will make very little sense. Now, to my fellow submariners, I recognize that I’m leaving out a lot of significant engineering details, but for the sake of appeasing a wider audience, I’ll beg your forgiveness in advance. Simply put, a submarine has an interior compartment, where all of the people and equipment are housed, and an exterior hull to keep the ocean on the outside of the boat – between those two elements are several interconnected spaces surrounding the entire vessel. Within those spaces, a submarine stores water – of all kinds. There’s salt water than can be pulled in to convert from salt to fresh for drinking, showers, cooking, etc. – there’s also waste water. There are, in fact, toilets on a submarine, after all, and all of those unmentionables have to go somewhere, so to one of these compartments it goes. In short, a submarine rises and falls in large part due to the intentional movement of the water in these spaces from full spaces to empty spaces, which affects the buoyancy of the submarine in specific areas of the submarine – problem is, if the operator of this specific function is not very careful, he or she could unintentionally move water from a full compartment into another full compartment. Now, if something is designed to hold only 5 tons of water and is suddenly forced to attempt to hold 10 tons, that excess water – whether salt water or waste water – has to go somewhere.

So, there I was, with essentially one effective leg and one arm full of binders, climbing a ladder from the lower level of the torpedo bay where I slept, to the upper level of the torpedo bay, when suddenly, I noticed a drop, then two, then three appearing on one of the binders in my arm. Just as I was beginning to notice the distinctly grayish-brown color of the drops, I began to feel them steadily falling all over my head, my face, my uniform. Then came the odor. As I said, that water – waste or otherwise – must go somewhere – it had found the path of least resistance, and on that day, I was at the end of that path. Safe to say that this was not one of my finer days of service in the United States Navy.

You’re probably wondering:

“What do elephantitis of the ankle and a shower of human waste have to do with ‘Citizenship’?”

I’m glad you asked. While in hindsight, this incident is nothing more than a comical blip on the vast radar screen of life, in the moment, when gathered together with the many other challenges I was facing (only a few of which I listed in this story), the situation was less than ideal. There were certainly less comical, more tragic, and more challenging days across my 22 years, but the lighthearted stress of this moment caused me to think through my responses to challenges in my life, in general. I began to think through my careers, and the various positions held within those careers, and that’s when it hit me – it was always less about the ‘what’ or the ‘where’ and more about the ‘Why’.

Here’s a truism – if there’s anything in your life worth pouring yourself into, you are guaranteed to face opposition – 100%, no question. In fact, I would go so far as to say if you think you’re doing something worthwhile and are not facing opposition, you should probably check your compass – there’s a good chance you’re swimming in the wrong direction. Success in any realm will not go unopposed. This inevitable opposition is precisely the reason that you must discover and remain anchored to your ‘Why’.

To illustrate, if you were to ask 10 service members – who’d voluntarily extended their service beyond their first tour – about their reasons for service, you’d get 10 different answers, no doubt, but what you would not hear is silence. Nobody continues to rise to the occasion against insurmountable odds without having some substantial connection to a purpose. So what’s your ‘Why’?

What is it that will allow you to keep getting up from the mat, no matter how many times you’ve been knocked down – what will fuel you to keep fighting when your physical, emotional, and spiritual tanks are running on empty? Find your answer to that question, and you’ve found your ‘Why’.

For some of you, life has already thrown enough at you to give you ample opportunity to find and employ your ‘why’, but there are others within the sound of my virtual voice who have yet to face the kind of soul-draining challenge that brings you to the utter end of every piece of your own strength. If I can offer you one piece of advice – which I’m guessing I can since you were kind enough to give me a microphone – now is the time to shore up your foundations in preparation for life’s storms. You can’t fortify a foundation during an earthquake – it’s either fortified in preparation for the quake, or rebuilt after the quake, there is no in between. So, right now, in this moment of relative calm, what is your ‘Why’?

While we let that thought simmer for just a moment, I’ll let you in on a few of mine:

My ‘Why’ is a God who saw me for what I was, loved me in spite of knowing even the worst things about me, and chose to pursue a relationship with me through His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.

My ‘Why’ is a loving, flexible, supportive, and understanding wife of nearly 28 years, who has always been in my fox-hole, even when no other earthly being could be counted on.

My ‘Why’ looks like three amazing children who always seem to have found a way to welcome me home with open arms, choosing to see me for my best intentions rather than for my faults and my many extended absences.

And my newest little senses of purpose, are my three little grand-dudes… Any grandparents reading this, right now? Or parents who’ve conceded that your own children will abandon you in a heartbeat in favor of their grandparents? Then you know… Enough said.

During my time in the Navy, my ‘Why’ frequently looked like the various men and women serving by my side. Deployments are often lengthy and always challenging in some way or another – it’s those people serving alongside you – most of whom would be willing to give their very lives in place of yours – that often help to keep you going. I loved the Navy – every minute of my service (well, almost every minute) – but it was the people that made the difference between my choosing to serve for a single tour and choosing to serve for an entire career. Those people, with God’s fingerprints all over them, are a lot of what made me get up to go to work every morning during an 18 month deployment away from my wife and children. I loved those people, with all of their warts, and I was able to love them well because of my primary ‘Why’ – a God who first loved me with all of my warts and showed me how to embrace even the most challenging parts of His creation.

Your list of ‘Whys’ may not look anything like my list, or it may be a carbon copy, but this truth remains – if your ‘Why’ is strong enough, it can serve as a common twine that connects every aspect and module of your life, creating the kind of integrity that can’t be achieved through any training evolution. If the ‘Why’ that makes you an excellent service-member, business leader, athlete, teacher, minister, or mechanic is the same ‘Why’ that makes you an outstanding student, son, daughter, friend, employee, husband, wife, father, or mother, then – whether we’re talking about challenges faced in military service, civil service, your job, or your personal relationships, your life on the whole will be well fortified against attacks. Your ‘Why’ will serve as a lighthouse for your life in the darkest and stormiest of nights.

Whether you finish diving into these words and emerge with a renewed sense of purpose and determination to continue on to active duty service in the branch of your choice or, hopefully, with a deep conviction toward service of another kind, I can say with absolute certitude that your service will be laced with opposition, hardship, and perhaps… even tragedy.

My friends, heed this advice, “Train for war in times of peace.” Don’t wait until you’re in the intense heat of a life or death battle to figure out your ‘Why’.

Silence…

He’s gone… We’ve left everyone we loved, everything we owned, and everything we’d known – comforts, conventions, customs – everything; and now He’s gone… While not even the most astute theologian knows the exact nature of the sentiments and conversations that must have been circulating amongst Jesus’ original disciples, I’ve been thinking quite a bit lately about the deep sense of loss they must have felt – the immensity of the cloud of hopelessness surrounding them. He had told them of His plans, time and time again – a very detailed and specific plan when pieced together. 1) He would be betrayed, 2) He would be killed, but 3) He would return (Matthew 16:21). To their horror, steps one and two had come to fruition, right before their eyes, but step three? He must have been mistaken. We must have been mistaken. While He was with them in the flesh, while they were hearing from Him daily, while they were seeing Him move, it was so easy to anchor their faiths to His promises. But in this silence – maybe they were mistaken. Maybe they had misheard. Maybe they should take a personal inventory and exercise damage control on their lives – return to their families, their jobs, their comfortable lives (John 21). Maybe it was time for them to take matters into their own hands – after three years of crowds, tutelage, miracles, and fellowship, this uncomfortable silence was deafening. He said He would return, but maybe this promise will be different than those He’s fulfilled in the past…

When the outcome has been decided and so clearly recorded in Scripture for our edification, it’s certainly easy for me to Monday-Morning-Quarterback their situation, and interject unhelpful thoughts or phrases such as, “I can’t believe that they would…” or “I would never have…”, but the truth is, “I would have,” and “I do.” “We do.” One needn’t look any further than God’s chosen people, Israel, for an example of our tendencies in the midst of silence. Although there are many examples, the example that comes to mind most easily is the golden calf (Exodus 32). I would of course recommend a reading of anything to which I allude, but I’ll do my level best to paint a picture – Israel has been liberated from slavery under Egypt through a series of God’s miraculous interventions (the plagues, the Passover, the parting of the Red Sea), using Moses as His instrument of choice in their liberation. Moses has ascended a mountain to receive word from the Lord to pass to His miraculously liberated people, Israel. Moses’ conversation with the Lord takes quite a while, and these same miraculously liberated people are left in a period of extended silence. Surely, with the recency of having experienced the Lord’s delivery, guidance, and providence, they would wait patiently in the silence for Moses to return with the Lord’s instruction – their memories of His goodness would allow them to be faithful in the silence as well, right? No, in fact. They, instead, decided that Moses would likely never return, and that their best course of action would be to fashion a new god to lead them because clearly, the God who had led them out of captivity had run off with Moses. And worse? The priest helped them to accomplish their alternate objective!

In fairness to both the Disciples and the Israelites, I ask – are we, today, any different? I would suggest to you that we are not. How often are we, as modern-day followers of the Lord, guilty of rationalizing our disobediences, disbeliefs, and disloyalties as a response to silence. When my prayers for deliverance, providence, or guidance are met with silence, how quickly do I turn to worldly solutions rather than to turn to the promises in His Word, waiting on His will and timing? Even when I have been given clear direction from the Lord, how willing am I to impatiently forge my own path because I erroneously believe that His means to achieving His calling could use some process improvement? I submit to you that we are, in fact, no different. We, too, have seen the Lord’s hand at work. We, too, have walked with Him. We, too, have been miraculously delivered, over and over again. We’ve seen His promises come to fruition, one after the other. And yet, we, too, ask ourselves… Did He really mean for me to deny myself; I mean, there’s a lot I really enjoy about my old life? He can’t really mean that I should be willing to lose everything for Him, right (Luke 14:25-34)? Is He really ever coming back? We are no different.

Brothers and Sisters, I leave you with these two points of encouragement:

1) His promises are true.
2) His grace is sufficient for our impatient disloyalties.

In spite of their doubts, the Lord delivered on His promises – Moses did, in fact, return with a word from the Lord, and Jesus did, in fact, burst forth from the grave, just as He said He would! Our unfaithfulness and disbelief does not torpedo the Faithfulness and Grace of our God; He can be fully trusted to deliver on His promises. Silences are temporary, but the faithfulness of the Lord is eternal!

He is RISEN!

Emerging from the Shadows: An Historical Rationale for Celebration – Denver Broncos Edition

For those who know me well, you’ll not be surprised even a bit by the fact that I’ve once again pressed the virtual pen to paper, but you may be a little thrown by the fact that I’m writing on something other than leadership, team-building, or spiritual matters. Although this is far from the first thing I’ve written, I will readily confess that this is the first piece I’ve ever written with football as the central theme. I love football – I love everything about it. From the first note of our Nation’s Anthem, to the occasional high-speed flyover, to the kicker’s thud against pigskin that signals the battle’s genesis. I love the coaching theatrics, the schematic chess-match, the gambles that work, and the gambles that don’t. I love the Okoye-crumbling collision of the Smiling Assassin, the heroic helicopter spin of a determine Duke, and the Tokyo Special Teams tackle – no, make that ‘erasure’ – that ushered onto the scene the greatest running back in Denver Broncos history. I love Tebow to DT in OT. I love the unlikely Manning naked boot TD that fooled both the entire Cowboys’ Defense and the network television cameraman whose only job was to keep his extended eye on the ball. I love the Super Bowl 50 Von Miller strip sack of Cam Newton that seemed to have brought Superman crashing to the earth with an unanticipated finality. These are a just a few of many on-field moments in Denver Broncos’ History that have shaped the identity of one of the League’s most storied franchises.

But tucked away behind every memory, moment, or miracle, we find a much less glorious series of micro and macro-decisions that helped to make these iconic moments possible – and this is the aspect of football that I love perhaps more than any other: The Personnel Side. Why? Perhaps it’s my obsession with people, with human interaction, and with the building and employment of high-functioning teams. Behind every legend, there’s an intricately woven tapestry of interviews, meetings, film study, background checks, and workouts that helps to complete the story of what a personnel team believes their prospect can be, and this is the very beginning of the journey to stardom. The methodology with which these puzzle pieces are assembled can be the difference between a franchise forming ‘hit’ and an organizationally debilitating ‘miss’. If then Denver Broncos GM John Beake (1984 – 1998) selects Florida’s Louis Oliver over Arkansas’ Steve Atwater, the Nigerian Nightmare is likely still running to this day – although perhaps in a slightly more arthritic fashion. If a brash, young John Elway doesn’t force the hand of the Colts – and if the Broncos aren’t there waiting on the other side with a trade offer involving OL Chris Hinton, then ‘The Drive’, ‘The Helicopter Spin’, “This one’s for Pat!” – none of these makes its way into Denver Broncos’ lore. You see, the moments behind the moments are every bit as critical to the championship legacy of an NFL Team (or any organization for that matter) as the moments played out on the field.

While you may not remember where you were when the Denver Broncos drafted Hall-of-Fame Safety, Steve Atwater, you’ll most certainly remember where you were when he stole the soul of human locomotive, Christian Okoye – you may not have mentally commemorated the draft-day decision that brought Mr. Atwater to Denver, but without the behind-the-scenes work that went into this decision, we’re not celebrating the NFL Films gem we enjoy, today. Applying a slightly different twist, there are those well-documented and highly publicized personnel decisions that are emblazoned in the memories of every fan – even before the player in question even steps foot on the field. Where, for instance, were you when your favorite news or media outlet announced Peyton Manning’s decision to join the Denver Broncos? If you’re a fan who’s celebrated the moments, above, with gusto, then my guess is you’ll remember exactly where you were on this monumental occasion. No defense had been manipulated by the Orange-and-Blue Sheriff’s brilliant pre-snap antics, no touchdown had been scored, no record books shattered, but Elway’s storied pursuit of Peyton, and Peyton’s deliberative decision to cast his lot with the Denver Broncos organization was transformational, to say the least. The Denver Broncos fan base was ecstatic, and rightly so – even with the uncertainty of Peyton’s post-surgery health, a shadow of the legendary Sheriff marked a significant upgrade over anything the Denver Broncos had experienced in the eleven Quarterbacks who had started since the storied end of the Elway Era, when the Duke rode off into the sunset with a Lombardi Trophy under each arm.

We all know how that personnel ‘gamble’ played out – Broncos Country was blessed with several years of absolute brilliance from Manning. Instead of ‘the shadow of Manning’, he proved – to the team, to the league, and perhaps even to himself – that he was not the shadow, but a larger-than-life figure casting his grand shadow across the landscape of NFL History; this long shadow marked a new Quarterback Age for the Denver Broncos, and for Broncos Country – The Post-Manning Era. If you’re reading this, you know all too well how the Manning Era ended, with the hope of Broncos Country rewarded by two Super Bowl appearances, and a Lombardi Trophy. It was a beautiful season in the history of our franchise, but darker days were looming over the horizon.

Eleven starting quarterbacks later, the Denver Broncos entered the 2022 offseason with an annually regenerated hope – a young, talented roster (mostly inherited from work during the GM Elway Era) in the hands of recently hired General Manager, ‘King George’ Paton, who had shown great promise in his lone season at the helm of the Denver Broncos. King George’s personnel team drafted exceptionally well in his seminal year, and showed amazing patience and prudence in shaping their first free agent class. As had been case for several years, one question mark remained – quarterback. To the chagrin of many media pundits and armchair general managers, Paton passed on an opportunity to draft a quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft, opting instead to take what he believed would be a generational talent in CB Patrick Surtain II. Quarterbacks Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock were left with the unenviable task of toiling under a less-than-desirable offensive scheme that was… well… offensive, to serve as a bridge to the next era of great quarterback play, whenever that might be. But 2022 is a new year, and King George had a plan. And once again, we find ourselves focusing on the tantamount importance of the behind-the-scenes moves that make the on-field, highlight-reel moves possible.

The 2021 Season went out with a whimper, but there were, once again, glimmers of hope – with a new, highly energetic, and offensive minded Head Coach in Nathaniel Hackett headlining this season of change, but the quarterback question remained. Although Paton’s inner circle is more successfully secretive than any Masonic Temple or Illuminati board-meeting, droplets of hope were intentionally leaked out with enough frequency to keep the huddled masses engaged. There was the seemingly endless and draining conversation of all-world QB Aaron Rodgers, his availability, his unavailability, and his panchakarmicly cleansed soul; there was talk about the dissatisfaction, availability, ‘no-intention-of-making-him-availability’, and unavailability of elite QB Russell Wilson; there was even a gentle mental preparation exercise that left Broncos Country with visions of QBs Marcus Mariota, Drew Lock, and potential draft pick Kaleb Eleby dancing in their heads (thank you, Benjamin Allbright – Broncos Insider Extraordinaire, for attempting to let us down easily with this exercise of expectation management – it made the end result that much sweeter); there was even talk about running it back with beleaguered and much maligned QB Drew Lock. Meanwhile, for Broncos Country, the mental gymnastics between the franchise’s final game on January 8^th, and the beginning of the League Year were both extensive and exhausting. All the while, Paton and Company continued to work in the shadows, paying no mind to shock-jock radio claims, press releases, or opinion pieces, with their eyes on a prize we never saw coming – until March 8^th, 2022. In the morning hours of March 8^th, Broncos Country was dealt a blow that many saw coming, but just as many hoped would not be realized – Aaron Rodgers flipped, then flopped, then returned to Green-Bay-er pastures for big money that he allegedly didn’t even want, in order to lead the skeleton of a team that he’d financially decimated; he would not be a Denver Bronco. Broncos Country had barely begun to lick their wounds, mentally processing another season with a hyper-talented roster in quarterback-purgatory – and then, it happened… Adam Schefter casually dropped a crumb of news that hit Broncos Country with the impact of a meteor:

Blockbuster: After weeks of negotiations, in one of the largest trades in NFL history,  the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos have agreed to terms for a deal involving Super-Bowl winning QB Russell Wilson, sources tell ESPN.

So, the purpose of this article is this – not a down has been played, no touchdowns scored, not a one of Wilson’s stated goal of “three, four more Super Bowls” has been realized, but it’s okay to have hope. As a man who spends considerable time reading content from and interacting with Broncos Country (from casual to market media professional), I think it’s safe to say that years of mediocrity have produced a certain level of negativity and toxicity. It’s not pervasive, and there are elements of hope around the edges – but for many, that hope is derived from a firm foundational understanding of Denver Broncos History; not just the history of what we’ve seen on the field, but the history of how a meteoric personnel move off the field can translate into a team’s meteoric rise on the field. The plan that King George and his Court have been working behind the scenes has begun to peek through that long shadow created by the legends of the Duke and Sheriff. Yes, nothing has been accomplished on the field, but if you know your history, you’ll know that you have every right to celebrate. Enjoy this moment, Broncos Country – every video, every tweet, every article – it’s okay to celebrate even the smallest of victories, but this is no small victory; this is another monumental shift in Denver Broncos History, and you and I are blessed to be meandering around the periphery of another era of greatness.

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Elaine Thompson

Tarnished Nickels: A Leader’s & Layperson’s Guide to Biblical Generosity

“But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them.” – 2 Samuel 24:24 NIV

What should we offer to the Lord? How much is enough? And to whom should it be given? These are all questions that have plagued Believers for hundreds of years. The answers to questions regarding finance and generosity have been skirted by churches too afraid to discuss them, and have even been weaponized by some churches or ‘spiritual’ leaders as a means of quantifying the faithfulness of a Believer. How then, should we, as Believers, approach these matters? And how should Church Leadership approach the Body regarding these matters? Are used and dirty clothes our gift? Or how about designer clothing with purchase tags still affixed? Is this ‘enough’? Let’s begin our examination of these questions by asking a question: Are we sufficiently equipped to make a value determination about another’s gift? Perhaps one servant has greater insights into matters of discernment than another, but even on his best day, I would suggest that even the wisest of servants is woefully bereft of one specific trait – Divine Omniscience. The Lord, however, sees the heart. In anticipation of King David’s impending anointing (not coincidentally the subject personality of the scripture reference, above) the Lord redirects Samuel’s heart toward David, reminding him that “…the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Sacrificial giving is giving as unto to the Lord, and about the heart. It’s about the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ we honor the Lord with what He’s given us, not about the ‘what’ and the ‘where’ we give. As a king, money was clearly no object to David during the time of our key passage, but as a “…man after God’s own heart,” (1 Samuel 13:14) David understood that his giving was less about how much he gave, and more about the posture of his heart in his giving. As a man after God’s own heart, he had an accurate perspective of the holiness of God, a right understanding of the weight of his sin against this Holy God, and a genuine desire to remain in a deeply abiding relationship with his God. Under the influence of this kind of perspective, David bowed his contrite heart toward the Lord, offering something that he knew full-well was insufficient to cover his transgression or to buy him favor with the Holy God of the universe. Did he offer everything he had? No, he did not. But he obediently bowed his heart in reverence through his offering, with a complete understanding that God was the righteous benefactor responsible for every coin, brick, horse, spear, and citizen within David’s kingdom.

Consider for a moment the rich young ruler (Matt. 19:16-22). This confident young man — who sincerely believed he’d meticulously checked off every box of religious observation and practice — boldly approached Jesus with grandiose ideas of a well-deserved public endorsement of personal holiness. Throughout their exchange, the young man took every opportunity the Lord provided to affirm his own adherence to the dogmatic principles he’d inherited. As confident as he was in approaching Jesus, this young man was likely as faithful to the finer points of this religious construct as he purported himself to be to the larger points — probably paid his temple taxes, observed appropriate feasts, and offered his sacrifices to whichever specification allowed him to claim ‘compliance’. He had money, he had worldly favor, and he’d likely achieved some level of favor with the religious leaders of the day — the boxes were checked. And yet… Long before the conceptions of this young man, his parents, or their parents’ parents, the same Sovereign Lord who had called out the servant’s heart of David, orchestrated an encounter with this prominent young man that we, too, might receive a glimpse into the heart of man. Then Christ, while gazing directly into the young ruler’s true motives, struck a deathblow to the heart of the matter we find ourselves discussing, today, saying, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” As we’re all aware, the rich young ruler did not, in fact, follow the instructions of Jesus; instead of dropping everything he had known (as the disciples had done before him), he dropped his head and walked away saddened. Now, rhetorically, did the God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills really need the comparatively miniscule wealth of this ruler? Absolutely not. But the Lord, immediately zeroing in on the truest obstacle standing between this young man’s heart and eternal life, deliberately introduced a direct competition between his vocal professions and his innermost affections. The issue, here, and with respect to anything we offer to the Lord – whether time, talents, possessions, or money – is primacy. Irrespective of our individual net worth, ‘primacy’ demands that the posture of our hearts is so inclined toward the Lord that He is exalted above any other thing in our lives.

Are filthy rags all we have to offer? I would suggest this is true of all of us. Should we support those who serve in our local church body with our finances? Absolutely. This is biblical and, therefore, right (1 Timothy 5:17-18; 1 Cor. 9:9-14; Gal. 6:6). That said, if filthy rags and nickels are what we have to offer, whether offered in a cold and crowded parking lot to a broken and needy person, or in a brass plate, passed from pew to pew, if our offering is offered with a humble and sacrificial heart – as unto the Lord – we honor the Lord. The Lord is able to multiply even the tarnished nickels in our pockets far beyond any precisely measured spiritual ledger appeasement we may choose to employ.

What, then, of our fiscal focus as leaders within His Church? Should we follow the pattern of so many and continue to focus our efforts on amplifying peer-driven guilt within our flocks in order to assist the Lord with His fund-raising campaign? After all, perhaps the Lord really could use our assistance with adding some extra bulk to His coffers. Acknowledging that there is only one ‘right’ answer to the lopsided and admittedly cynical question as I have posed it, I would suggest a better way. Never has a sermon on personal finances been preached and received as glad tidings, and while I don’t expect this to change in my lifetime, I believe there are some course adjustments that will work in cooperation with the work of the Spirit in the lives of the people with whom God has entrusted us. The Lord sees the heart. He sees our motives (pure or impure), our obedience to His Spirit’s promptings (or our resistance to Him), and He knows better than any person what constitutes a genuinely sacrificial offering in each of our lives. In light of our understanding of the Lord’s priorities, here, I’m simply suggesting that our very best play in building Biblical generosity within the Body is to take ownership of our Divinely-assigned flock-feeding roles to such an extent that we’re truly joining with the Spirit in developing the building blocks of the individual Believers. Through the inspiration and empowerment of the Holy Spirit, we have the distinct privilege and responsibility to sharpen the spiritual arsenals of our Brothers and Sisters with each and every interaction. If we, as leaders, are concerned about a spiritual deficit within our teams — whether unity, compassion, humility, or even generosity — we have a unique opportunity to search the motives of our own hearts, lift these people up in prayer before the Throne of our Omnipotent God, and then, in turn, join with the Spirit in pouring ourselves into the Body with preemptive, Biblically sound, timely, and targeted training.

This equipping of the Saints is a concept with which we’re all familiar, but in truth, it’s a concept that’s often exercised in the reverse order of what I believe was intended. Equipping, by definition, is to “a) prepare (someone) mentally for a particular situation or task, or b) supply with the necessary items for a particular purpose” (Oxford Languages) – as either definition could be appropriate in this scenario, it’s worth noting that each shares a significant commonality – some level of advanced delivery of either knowledge or equipment in order to provide the premiere opportunity for success in the direction of whichever endeavor or development goal we’re pursuing. The key words, here, are ‘advanced delivery’. All too often, when it comes to hot flock-development topics, we find ourselves in the dreaded ‘trail position’, only bringing these challenging lessons to the people when we find ourselves in the midst of a disaster or disappointment directly related to a specific need for admonition. We address harmony when we’re experiencing disunity, or perhaps sexual purity when we’re aware of a specific parishioner’s struggles, or very commonly, we address generosity or giving when we find ourselves in a situation of perceived financial deficiency. If we are proactively and systematically bathing one another in the Word throughout our moments, days, and weeks, then we will spend far less time in spiritual triage, attempting to prescribe the appropriate scripture to stop the bleeding, and more time providing valuable armor and education that can help to prevent infliction of the wound in the first place. By reactively applying spiritual splints to the legs of the entire flock, when the treatment is intended for the wounds of one very specific sheep, we subject ourselves to even greater resistance from the currently unafflicted flock. Sheep are unintelligent, yes, but they are smart enough to recognize when they are being fleeced into digesting a targeted message, disguised as a general public service announcement. Conversely, if we use every opportunity to train the flock to recognize and avoid potholes in times of peace, and courageously approach and treat specific sheep when their obstinance results in their spiritual injury, then we build trust within the flock, and help to reduce the number of ill-informed spiritual missteps within the Body on the whole.

In closing, generosity is a matter of the disposition of the heart of every Believer. As a Christian leader, however, encouragement toward generosity (or toward any spiritual trait or discipline) is a matter of an intentional, preemptive, Spirit-infused peacetime development of the Body. In all cases, this much is clear – no amount of pressure, whether self-directed or outwardly imposed, is able to influence the heart of man toward genuine, God-honoring generosity in the way that the Lord is able through sanctification. When we truly understand the extent of His love for us, our natural response will be a ‘pouring out’ to others. Whether through surrender of the entirety of a Bill Gates-esque estate, or through the donation of a simple, tarnished nickel, it is the Lord who defines the validity of our generosity, and no amount of coercion or derision will increase the coffers of the Lord, or alter His views of the hearts of His servants. Whatever we do – whether giving, or shepherding the flock – if it is done as unto the Lord, with the proper perspective of a Holy God, as modeled by David, then we will find ourselves offering a pleasant and aromatic offering. Peace, my friends!