For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”
~ Philippians 4:13 (NLT)
We are currently in the middle of the football season. On all levels, weekends are full with games on the gridiron. Whether we cheer for our local high school, the Hawkeyes or Cyclones on the college level, or a favorite pro team, this is a fun time of year!
Now in the midst of all this football excitement, we had the news last month of a man named Kent Broussard. Kent is a 66-year-old retired accountant from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who achieved his lifelong dream by joining the Louisiana State University Tiger Marching Band as its oldest member. After retiring in 2023, he practiced relentlessly to master the tuba, earning a spot in the band and debuutng during LSU’s home opener in September, where he received a standing ovation. His story highlights perseverance and never lettng go of our dreams!
I think we all love these kinds of stories. And the truth is they inspire us to keep pursing our dreams and they remind us it’s “never too late to start something new.” History has actually given us many inspiring stories. Julia Child, for example, did not make her television debut on the show, The French Chef, until she was 51, and Charles Darwin was 50 when he published his famous book, On the Origin of the Species, in 1859. I might add news about Duncan Hines. At age 55, he wrote his first food guide. And biblically speaking, Abraham was 75 when God called him to leave his home in Haran and travel with Sarah to the land of Canaan. Again, it’s never too late.
Some words from writer, F. Scott Fitzgerald, are helpful here. Fitzgerald once said, “For what it’s worth; it’s never too late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over.”
As we move into this new month of October and go deeper into this “fall season,” I invite you to see this time of year as a time of fresh starts and new beginnings. The future is filled with possibilities. Might we be willing “to take a risk,” “be bold,” and “never give up” inside and outside the church!
Peace and blessings, Pastor Scott