Marino Was--Brees Is

Dan Marino has been a household name to sports fans for many years.  His accomplishments on the field as the quarterback for the Miami Dolphins were legendary.  He has had the distinction for the past 27 years of holding the NFL record for passing yardage—5,084 yards in a single season.

On Monday Night Football this week, Marino’s historic record was surpassed.   By the end of the game, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees had reserved his spot in the Hall of Fame with his 307 yard performance which brought his season high total to 5,087 yards.

When Brees threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to former Kansas State standout Darren Sproles, it helped to underscore another record:  Brees is the first NFL quarterback to have two 5,000 plus yard seasons.

In thinking about the record that was Marino’s and the one that is now in the possession of  Brees, I realized how often was-words are appearing in my vocabulary. 

In a coffee-shop-discussion earlier in the week, I had recollected about something I had done when a teenager and made a remark about a friend who was a good athlete in high school.  If a person is not careful, his life can morph into a series of has-been-moments robbing him of a productive life of vital "is" endeavors.

If a person’s main focus is on the has-been-segments of his life, he is bound to stumble through the present and trip into the future.  This was the case with Moses and his often unhappy tribe. 

After Moses had led them out of slave-like labor to the Egyptians and took them to the threshold of the Promised Land, they rebelled and turned back.  Only two people wanted to move forward—Joshua and Caleb.

The faith of Caleb never wavered, and he remained steadfast for another 40 years of wandering through the desert.  When he returned to the edge of the Promised Land with a new and younger generation following him, he made one request:  Give me this mountain.

Instead of wasting his life complaining about what had happened 40 years earlier and focusing on his many trials, Caleb was always looking forward to the next goal in life.  His dedication to the present and his preparation for the future had him ready to conquer giants.

People like Drew Brees and Caleb, are people of faith and dedication, and they provide us a worthy example to follow.