Many will know the story of how, on New Year's Day, 1929, Georgia Tech played
the University of California in the annual Rose Bowl football game. In that game
a man named Roy Riegels recovered a fumble for California.
Unfortunately he became confused and began running the wrong way. One of his
team-mates, Benny Lom, overtook and tackled him just before he scored for the
opposing team.
This was during the first half. Everyone was wondering what Coach Nibbs Price
would do with Roy Riegels in the second half. During the half-time break Riegels
sat alone in a corner, wrapped a blanket around his shoulders, put his hands in
his face and cried like a baby.
Three minutes before the start of the second half Coach Price looked at the team
and said, "Men, the same team that played the first half will start the second."
Riegels never moved. The coach called him and again he never moved. Coach Price
went over to where Riegels sat and said, "Roy, didn't you hear me? The same team
that played the first half will start the second."
Reigels said, "Coach, I can't do it to save my life. I've ruined you. I've
ruined the University of California. I've ruined myself. I couldn't face that
crowd in the stadium to save my life."
Then Coach Price reached out and put his hand on Riegels' shoulder and said,
"Roy, get up and go on back, the game is only half over."
Roy Reigels went back. Those Tech men will tell you they have never seen a man
play football as Roy Riegels played that second half.
And isn't that what God does for you and me? Time and again we blow it. We fail.
We mess things up. We feel like such a failure. But Jesus is always there. He
places a hand on our shoulder and says, "Get up. Don't quit. I am with you. You
are forgiven. I love you and I will never leave you or forsake you no matter
what!"
Actually, if we were to translate Jesus' words literally, they would read, Jesus
said, "I will never, never, never, never, never (five times over) leave you or
forsake you," or "I will never, not ever, no never leave you or forsake you."
As the saying goes, the only real failure is not to get up one more time than we
fall or get knocked down.
By Dick Innes, Daily Encounter
www.actsweb.org/detoday . Used by permission.
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