Life Outside the Cage

I am a huge fan of college football. Saturdays spent watching the gridiron battles are a rare luxury. Today I nestled in for a few hours of work while the television blared excited announcer voices declaring touchdowns, sacks, and interceptions. College football consists of a frenzy of painted bodies, foam fingers, tailgate cookouts, and fun-loving mascots. It is a chance to escape and cheer for my alma mater, the place responsible for some of my life’s best memories.

Glancing up at the screen during a pivotal play, something caught my attention, causing me to view a kick-off return in a whole new light. As the player nabbed the ball and dashed toward the other end of the field, his teammates encircled him, forming a protective guard to help propel him forward.

“That’s the way it is with Christian friends,” I thought. God gives us an assignment that is beyond our capabilities. We need others who can spur us on, protect us, make blocks against the enemy, and assist in extra yardage toward our goal. A huge thank you to all my friends who blockade and defend my sprint down the field.

Sundays are uplifting days spent worshiping the Lord, reconnecting with friends, and relaxing in the house of God. That is until the sermon ends, everyone says their last goodbye, and I exit through the doors. The longest walk of my life occurs each week in the journey to my car amid all the families deciding where to eat lunch or which activity will be the focus of their afternoon.

Loneliness swirls around me and inhabits my deepest spots. The enemy knows where to strike and he sails his arrow faithfully each week. I smile cordially and wave my hand to be friendly as I enter my vehicle. I sit quietly for a moment. What do I do now? Go home to eat in deafening silence or muster the willpower to sit in a restaurant full of chirping families. I hate to cook more than I dislike the encounter, so off to a restaurant I go.

A good book tucked under my arm and a quick prayer for God to join me at the table, I nestle down for a bite of my salad and listen to the noise echo around me.

Being single can be a great place. Being single can be a lonely place. That’s why I love Jesus even more . . . He lived life as a single. He knows where I’m walking.