As I was finishing my shower this morning, I asked, “What do I need to know about today, Lord?”

“You’ve reached the line of scrimmage,” he answered me.  The line of scrimmage?  I did play in the high school band back in the day, causing me to have to go to football games. So I became somewhat familiar with the game.  Actually, I still like to watch it from time to time – no favorite teams, but I can really appreciate a good game.  So I’m familiar with the phrase, but I don’t really know what it means.  I looked it up.  Wikipedia says:

In American and Canadian football, a line of scrimmage is an imaginary transverse line (across the width of the football field) beyond which a team cannot cross until the next play has begun.

“Perfect!” I say.  “So Coach, you’re letting me know that you’re working on something and I should just chill in the huddle until you get the next play set up, eh?” I ask with the “eh” in nod to the Canadian reference.  (I’ve been using that a lot lately.  “Eh?” looks and sounds so much better than my American version of “huh?” which I used to use.)

“Yes,” he says.  “I could have simply said that you’ve done what was given you to do up to this point, now just stand.  Be still and wait.  But I thought you’d enjoy the football reference more.”

“And I do!”

“With the line of scrimmage reference,” he continued, “you can visually see that the game is still on. There is still activity. There is still more yet to come.  There is just a brief pause while teams refocus and set up the next play.  I know that gives you hope and clarity.  If I were to tell you to be still and wait, I know you would. But I also know you would become impatient. Your mind would wander. You would question and doubt and maybe even get worked up . . . ”

“. . . over nothing,” I say, finishing his phrase. “Lord, I get it.  I get what you’re telling me.  I’ll chill – though I suspect that is really not a good phrase either, eh?  Let me put it simply then, I’ll be still and wait.”

I like this visual.  I think it will be quite helpful in future days to equate being still and wait with not crossing the line of scrimmage until the next play is in action.  I do seem to be at a new time in my life. I sense my purpose, my focus, coming into clarity and that has made me anxious.  I want to rush ahead and get on with it.  I want to have everything clearly laid out.

Ha! And just last week I was writing about how I appreciate and can enjoy ambiguity!!  I only fooled myself.  I only appreciated living in ambiguity for a brief moment.  I laugh.

“Lord, you’ve certainly got your hands full.  I will, I do trust you, and know that you are putting together the next play.  You’re the Coach and you see the game from a fuller viewpoint. You know what needs to be in place before you release me to cross the line to do my part.  I will wait . . . patiently.”

What’s my part? I wonder as I continue musing over the metaphor.  Well, when I used to play football – yes, in my much younger days I enjoyed it.  It was usually flag football, sometimes tackle — just in the neighborhood with friends, or maybe at school during P.E. class. I recall taking the position of guard.  Not the center, not the quarterback, no wing running down the field to score the winning touchdown, but guard.  I would do what was necessary (hopefully) to protect the quarterback while he or she did her thing to get that ball moving.

Is that my role now? in the spirit?  I wonder.