Tempered Bows
Theme of the Week: God's Sandpaper
Sunday, August 2, 2009
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Who Said It … Jim Tressel
Jim Tressel, the head football coach at Ohio State University, was coached by his own father while quarterbacking for Baldwin Wallace College in northeastern Ohio. Since 2001 Jim has guided the Buckeyes to seven bowl appearances, including five BCS games, five 10-win seasons, four Big Ten titles, and one national championship—and is still genuinely puzzled about why all the fuss. Meticulous in his habits, the man in the sweater vest is also magnanimous in his generosity. And nobody sends more notes of encouragement. What He Said … Tempered Bows
The Lakota Sioux consider bravery (wo-oh-hee-tee-keh in their language) to be a central virtue or value. But they understand that, as time goes on, the young brave will be shaped and strengthened by his challenges, tempered through adversity.
The ancient Lakota hunter warriors handcrafted their own bows from seasoned ash wood. There were two ways to acquire the proper wood. The conventional way was to find a young ash tree, harvest it, and let it dry for at least five years. But the hunter warriors were always on the lookout for a mature ash tree that had been struck by lightning. Such a tree had been dried and cured in an instant by the awesome power of lightening, and any bows made from it would be much stronger. Such trees were rare, but they were preferred because they had suffered the ultimate adversity, and ultimate adversity produces ultimate strength.
Adapted from The Winners Manual (Tyndale, 2008) by permission.
Copyright © 2009 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.
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Thank you, Lord, for receiving me just as I was. But thank you, also, for your insistence on reshaping me for maximum usefulness in your kingdom.
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