You got this?

I heard this story yesterday. The Baltimore Ravens, a professional football team that won the Super Bowl last year, had possession of the football and were moving the ball down field with only a couple of minutes of regulation play remaining.

They reached their opponents' 44-yard-line where they faced a fourth-and-10 yards to go situation. They could attempt another play, of which the odds were very much against them making the 10 yards needed or they would turn the ball back over to their opponent. Or they could attempt a field goal. Field goals are spotted seven yards from where the line of scrimmage is, so from the Detroit Lions' 44, the kick would be placed down at the Ravens' 49. The goal posts are 10 yards from the goal line, making the kick one of 61 yards.

Baltimore Coach John Harbaugh, pondering all the questions in  the few seconds he had to think this over, asked his kicker Justin Tucker what he thought. Kickers practice before games begin, particularly on the road, and come to a conclusion about how far they could make kicks from. Sometimes when asked during games they actually tell the truth, which would be something like this: "Coach, in this dome I figure I could make it from ...."

Tucker, when Harbaugh asked, said, "I got this, coach."

"I got this," he said.

The interesting thing, to me, about this, "I got this, coach," is the authority in which he spoke. I assumed many kickers would have said something close to this except for one startling fact. No one had ever kicked a field goal of that distance to win a game, something Harbaugh was asking Tucker to do.

"I got this, coach." With fire roaring out of his mouth, with the power of Heracles in his leg, with the brains of a rock, Tucker said, "I got this, coach."

We are a week away from Christmas Eve. The question I ask is a simple one. Do you have this?

I must tell you this is the most stressful Christmas we've ever had as a family for a thousand reasons. We've got money issues, family issues, health issues, ministry issues.

Someone said if it ain't broken, don't fix it. No problem, friend. But what does one do when everything is broken? Have you got this?

I came across these ideas about stress at Christmas and I'm sharing.

Everyone can get all pushed out of shape by the sales and lists and parties at home and the office. So be proactive and get your focus right before you get sucked into the stress of the season.

First:  Choose to "do all to the glory of God". Whatever is on your list do it for HIM!

Second: Plan your giving without any regard to receiving in return. Lower your expectations and don't expect others to give back to you.

Third: Focus on the purpose of Christmas and remember that it is HIS BIRTHDAY and not yours.

Fourth: Prioritize your list so that God is put on top as the first of importance.  This means putting God first in giving and going to worship HIM.

Fifth: Pray about everything as it says in 1Thes.5:1.  Prayer is great at relieving stress every time. IF you are still stressed then PRAY all over again and again until you finally turn it over to GOD.

Sixth: Complaining is a terrible thing and it adds so much stress to our lives. Above all else stop it and go back to praying again. Replace grumbling with prayer. It really works so go ahead and do it.

Finally:  Just relax and rest in God. He invites you to come to HIM and receive His peace. Remember at Christmas He is the Prince of Peace. So let HIM be your Prince.

Mark Hall of Casting Crowns tells us all this:

I have what you need,
But you keep on searchin,
I've done all the work,
But you keep on workin,
When you're runnin on empty,
And you can't find the remedy,
Just come to the well.
You can spend your whole life,
Chasin what's missing,
But that empty inside,
It just ain't gonna listen.
When nothing can satisfy,
And the world leaves you high and dry,
Just come to the well
And all who thirst will thirst no more,
And all who search will find what their souls long for,
The world will try, but it can never fill,
So leave it all behind, and come to the well
So bring me your heart
No matter how broken,
Just come as you are,
When your last prayer is spoken,
Just rest in my arms a while,
You'll feel the change my child,
When you come to the well

Have you got this?

Tucker did, by the way, kick a 61-yarder to win the game. He had this all the way. Never a doubt.

Uh, huh.



This year, and every year that follows, relax. He's go this.