I have always been an achiever. If I want something, I'm not afraid to work harder than the next guy to get it. I believe that's how the world works, but not how God works. Maybe that's why it took me so long to find out what I have in Jesus. I accepted Christ in high school, more as an insurance policy than anything else. My hard work and success in football made me proud, and I figured I could handle anything. In 1987, the NFL players went on strike. I was picketing at a "replacement players game", and signing autographs for the union workers kids, who were helping us picket. I noticed I was signing an extra autograph, so I asked if anyone was going to the game. A kid answered that he was, and because I was a union leader, because we had agreed not to promote the game by signing stuff for the fans, and because I'm a tactless fool, I took back the autograph, tore it in half, and told the kid he couldn't have an autograph if he was going to the game. The next day, his father wrote a letter to the editor of the Denver Post, and my world turned upside down. I had lived for fan adoration for a long time, and now it was gone. I got death threats instead of fan mail,. The media was in a frenzy over the incident. A group in Denver formed called "Mothers Against Mecklenburg". I tried to turn to my wife and friends for support, only to find my pride had alienated them. I had found it easier to bask in the praise of those who didn't know me, than to act on the criticism of those who did. This time I couldn't handle everything myself, so I finally turned to God. I had asked Jesus into my heart 10 years earlier and basically ignored him since then. The God I now serve was still there, waiting to develop a relationship with me. I didn't even have a relationship with my wife! How was I supposed to have one with Jesus? I was broken, and ready to learn. I opened my bible and got to know him. My wife and I fell back in love as God's influence spread through our family. Football was still important to me, but relationships became a priority. I now believe these earthly relationships: husband, wife, son, daughter, father, mother, friend, brother, sister are meant to prepare you for a relationship with God. As a man I had always felt, "If you didn't earn it, it wasn't worth having", but the love of Jesus is a free gift. You can't earn it. He came so that sinners (you and me) could have everlasting life. Know that you're a sinner, ask him for forgiveness and you're saved. Develop a relationship with Jesus and brother, a whole new world opens up.
Romans 6:23"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”
God BlessYou! Karl
Karl Mecklenburg Inspiring long term positive change in teams and individuals. Karl@karlmecklenburg.com 720-379-5317