What Does This Mean?

As I watched the NFL playoffs this weekend, I was struck by the pose of Philadelphia kicker David Akers (left) after he kicked a field goal. As you can see, he is pointing to the sky. What's it mean? Presumably, he is giving thanks to God for bestowing upon him the physical gifts necessary to kick the field goal. Or maybe he is just taking the brief moment in front of the cameras to share with the world his belief in God.

Whatever the case it caught my attention. Don't ask me why. I've seen hundreds of other athletes do the same thing hundreds of other times. However, what I really found interesting was that later in the game when he missed a field goal, he gave no such gesture toward the sky. It didn't make sense. After all, didn't he still have the same God-given physical gifts as earlier in the game when he made a field goal? Why not take the opportunity again to thank God for those gifts? Or, if his earlier gesture was just about sharing his belief in God, did his miss make him question his faith?

Like I said, I see this all the time... that is, athletes gesturing toward the sky when they perform well. However, I have never seen one do the same when they drop a pass, throw an interception, miss a shot, stike out, or misplay a ground ball. It makes for a good object lesson. It is easy to praise God and remain strong in one's faith when everything is going well and to our liking. What separates the real believers from the band wagoners, though, is how they respond to the bad times. It's not so easy to give thanks and praise in the face of failure, trying times, and despair. Lest we forget, God is there then, too. And while it may be difficult to understand why these things are happening in our lives, it is precisely then that our faith must be its strongest. For even in these times, His "will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven." We may not like it and we may not understand it, but it is His will for us and we must have faith that ultimately it shall serve our best interests.

I know I'll never see one of those athletes point to the sky when they make a mistake. But just for kicks, maybe the next time things aren't going my way, I'll point to the sky to help remind me that even though I'm struggling, God's still on my team.