Edsels, Hoops, and tony campolo

FAILURE.  That is a big scary word.  When used in the verb form “fail’ I prefer to soften it up and say “mistake” or “whoopsie”:)  On Sunday, Tim’s SS lesson, and  our pastor’s message both centered on this topic.  So it got me thinking of failures in general.  

 “Failure to Success” are the great stories people like to tell about Michel Jordon or Abraham Lincoln. 

 

 But what about failure that has NO great and fun success story at the end where the company/person went on to become rich and famous?

 What about the “Edsel”?  Some of you remember this word.  If you are under 50 however, you may not know much about the “Edsel” or that it was the hugest failure of an automobile launch in history.  For those of us who are baby boomers, failure=edsel.  In the 60’s and 70’s anything that failed was called an “edsel”  It was the butt of jokes, anyone who owned one was a laughing stock.  While FORD was the father company of the Edsel, it was it’s own “division”.   Dad lost millions on this venture.  The exact cause is unknown, some blame marketing, some blame manufacturing, some blame the economy at the time.  To be sure, this was one of the biggest “mistakes” or “whoopsies” ever.  Admittedly, it was a pretty ugly car.  Have a look:

For me, my big ole fat failures have been many.  While some are still too tender and embarrassing to discuss, one from my 20something years still makes me say OUCH!  …In high school I was pretty good at basketball.  All conference, all state.  I lived and breathed hoops. 

Forget Coby or LeBron give me the freakin ball and I will score!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number 44 is SOOOOO all that!

I went to a small college on a BB scholarship and my freshman year of college did well, getting to start right off the bat. 
This was before Title 9, 
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Title_IX

So my little college in the Midwest played all of the big universities, and we beat many of them.  Since our team did so well my freshman year, we attracted some really good players the next year.....

 OUCH!  Guess who got benched?  WOW!  WHAT IN THE CAT HAIR?  How could this happen to cocky little me? How could I score 30 points a game from the bench??? What was the matter with my coach? 

  The EXCRUCIATING PAIN of sitting on the bench when my whole life so far I was used to being the star- was not fun, to say the least.  One game my whole extended family attended.  It was humiliating to ride the bench when 14 of them came to see me play.  

My dreams died that year, a slow and painful death.  The next year I transferred to the U of Iowa, and settled for intramurals.  No collegiate glory, no career in the WNBA.




  The cold hard truth was that I just was NOT good enough.  I was a big fat failure... extraordinaire. 

God taught me lots of truths about myself through that failure, and my others. Do you want to hear about it?  I thought you would never ask!

1.It’s not all about YOU, Denise- when we fail, God has in mind teaching us this truth and many others- as painful as it might be.

2.Have you ever heard of the “H” word? Anyone who fails gets a huge dose of humility.  It comes with the territory.  And it’s way good.

3.Life goes on.   A friend helped me figure that out as I was finishing my undergraduate years.  I never became rich or famous, but I did get a degree in Therapeutic Recreation and started working with folks with disabilities.  That was the start of something excellent.

Some of you have never had any big failures and I pity you.  You need it.  If you don’t have some substantial failures, you will not develop character, stamina, humility, or really know how to love well.

Many who do not believe, say that Jesus was the biggest failure of all.  After all, he claimed to be God, but died a criminal’s death.  On a rugged and dirty tree. 

 They don’t get that that was Friday, but Sunday Surely Came. 


 

Tony Campolo, the well known sociologist and University Professor said it well in his famous message “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s Comin”.    I like Tony a lot, I have read many of his books, he is a colorful and charismatic character.  He has a heart for the poor and downtrodden, but mostly for his Jesus. If you have never heard “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s Comin”, here is a short exerpt. MUST viewing and listening.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcbKWT10z34

For those of us who feel we have failed in some ways in our lives- the great news is SUNDAY is comin.  I am as sure of this as I am each breath that I take.  Count on it.