This weekend, I went to see the just released movie - Miracle. This movie is one of those "feel good" movies, kinda like Rudy, Remember the Titans, and Radio and other "R" movies.

The movie is based on the real-life story of the 1980 USA Olympic Hockey Team. In the movie, there was a great illustration of the power of "surrender". Herb Brooks, the coach of the Olympians, recruited amateur hockey players from around the country to play on this special team. The first practice set the tone for the challenges he would face trying to meld 20 individuals, some who hated each other, into a team that would seek to do the impossible - beat the Russians.

During each practice, Coach Brooks asked a couple of players to give very basic information about themselves to their teammates. This consisted of their name and the university they played hockey for. As the time for the Olympic competition got closer the players continued to be at odds with each other.

Immediately after a pre-Olympic warmup game with the Norway team, which ended in a 3-3 tie, Coach Brooks ordered his players back on the ice for a series of "windsprints" from the goal line to the blue line and back again. He kept pushing them and pushing them, and even when the lights were turned off in the arena, he ordered them to continue to skate. The players were exhausted and some of them were on their hands and knees on the ice - totally wasted. Then something special happened. Mike Eruccione (sic), shouted out his name and then instead of finishing it with the name of the university he played for, he instead said he played for the USA. Coach Brooks then excused the players and allowed them to go to the locker room. At last, they had become a team. They had finally surrendered their personal identity and identified with something greater - the USA Olympic Hockey Team.

There are certainly obvious parallels and similarities for us as Christians. For some reasonm, we hold on to our identity with a death grip until at some point, after being broken time and again, we surrender - we give it all to God - all 100%. It's at that time that we are finally able to fully experience Him and all that He has for us. We are part of His team, implementing His game plan - executing His plays - making a difference right where He has placed us. Just as the USA team experienced victory and the won the gold medal in 1980, we too can claim the victory and the prize. "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:14.

Pressin on,
Dave