Date: 7/7/2009
<br>Author: Devin Pickard
<br>Title: Its kind of a shame .........
<br><br>What will you be remembered for when your days here on this earth are spent?  What will be the first thing to pop into someone's mind when they hear your name called after you are long gone? For instance, what is the initial thing you think of when you hear the name Pete Rose?  Is it the fact that he is the all-time Major League leader in hits, games played, and at bats?  Or maybe you recall the fact that he owns 3 World Series Championship rings,  3 batting titles, one Most Valuable Player Award, two Gold Gloves, the Rookie of the Year Award, and that he made 17 All-Star appearances at an unequaled five different positions?  Or, is the first thing that jumps out of your memory about   “Charlie Hustle” the fact that in 1989 he was permanently banned from the game of baseball because he was accused of, and later admitted to, gambling on baseball games in which he played or  managed.  Is it possible that a lifetime of achievements could be wiped out in just a matter of a few hours?  Can one bad decision erase a truck-load full of good ones?  I think we know the answer.<br><br><br>One of the grandest things about God to me is that he allows us to see inside the lives of some of his greatest servants that ever walked the face of the earth.  I suppose King David is always the default Bible character that most of us think about when we discuss the dilemma of trying to live a Godly life in such an un-Godly world.  This “man after God's own heart” seemed to have it all.  From all indications, it appears that God was with his every move ..... and his every move was with God.  But oh how quickly things can change.  On a night when he should have been leading troops into battle, David made a fateful trip up to the roof of his palace for a little late night stroll, which in turn began a series of events that would alter his life forever.  The one decision King David made on his roof that night started a whirlwind of infidelity, murder, an infant death, family struggles and shame, and a general lifetime of pain and regret.  For some people, David's indiscretion became like white-out on a sheet of paper.  All of  a sudden, the remarkable feats of killing a lion, a bear, and a certain 9 foot giant were a distant memory, as if though they had never happened.  Did the negative in David's life erase all of the positive in the mind of God?  I would think not.  You see, God knows us better than we know us ..... and certainly better than everyone else knows us.  God knew what David was going to do before David did it.  Did it cause God to love him any less?  Absolutely not.  Did that unconditional love keep God from punishing his beloved servant?  Absolutely not.  <br><br><br>Part of this weeks thoughts were spurned on by the tragic events of the last few days in the life of former Tennessee Titan quarterback Steve McNair.  Unfortunately, he has now been thrown into the same brotherhood with the likes of Pete Rose, King David, Bill Buckner, Simon Peter, Bill Clinton, and the Old Testament character Uzza.  Is it fair that so much positive in ones life be wiped out by just a smudge of negative?  No, its not fair.  Is it right?  No, its not right.  Is it how it should be? No, its not how it should be.  But, regardless of how we think, that's pretty much how its going to be, almost each and every single time.  So, I guess the best we can do is simply the best we can do.  Are we going to continue to make mistakes?  Yep.  Can we be rest assured that God will forget them if we are repentant?  Yep.  Can that be said for everyone else around you?  Nope.<br>                                       <br><br> Go the extra mile - Devin    <br>