Seeing Through A Knothole

CORE PRACTICE #24: Don’t resist change when you see God bringing something new into your life.

The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”

—Psalm 32:8

TONY

Things change. Sometimes abruptly and unexpectedly.

I discovered this as my football playing career was coming to an end. I had played in high school and college, and then began my career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where I was a member of the 1979 Super Bowl–winning team. But by 1980, I had been traded twice, first to the San Francisco 49ers, and next to the New York Giants, within a twelve-month period. Then Ray Perkins, head coach of the Giants at the time, informed me near the end of training camp that he was cutting me from the team.

I was twenty-five years old and had been playing football for fourteen of those years. I loved the game, but as much as I wanted to continue playing, I could see the door closing on my career. It was disappointing. Rather than getting too discouraged or trying to eke out a little more playing time, I decided to pray about what God wanted to do with my life. As I did, I remembered an off-hand comment Coach Perkins made as he was releasing me: “Tony, you’re very smart and have such a good approach to the game that I think you’d make a very good coach someday.”

Soon I was back in Pittsburgh, working on Chuck Noll’s staff for the Steelers, just two years after Coach Noll had traded me away. Not long after that, I met Lauren. I discovered that often when God moves us, He has great blessings in store if we simply follow His leading.

We need to remember that God never closes a door without opening another—or at least a window. Or sometimes even a vent! He always wants the best for us, so a door closing may lead to a period of rest, quiet, or waiting. In my case, I sat out the entire 1980 NFL season.

Just think, if my playing career hadn’t ended when it did, I never would have met my wife. God had to change my life in order to really change my life! Here’s the truth: We can’t see the whole picture but God can.

That reminds me of a story I heard about two small boys who wanted to see a parade that was passing by. However, they were standing behind a wooden fence and the floats and marching bands were moving along on the other side. Suddenly one of the boys saw a knothole in the fence. Now they were able to watch the parade, within limits—the problem was that they couldn’t see what had gone before, and they couldn’t see what was coming.

That’s a little like our lives. We can’t see the full picture. But God can see it, and He never leaves us alone. He sees and controls our tomorrow.

Adventure Application: If your life were a parade, what would you say is in your line of sight right now? Would you compare it to a stunning float, a group of scary-looking clowns, or an out-of-sync marching band? What would you like to see next in the procession? Thank God for where He has placed you now, knowing He can see what comes next.