The Letterman's Jacket

It was a chilly afternoon in February, 1990. I was busy cleaning out my locker, just the day before I had finished off my freshman year of wrestling. I had a solid season I went 38-6 with 29 pins, I was very excited as the next day we had our Annual Wrestling banquet where I was going to officially be awarded a Varsity Letter in Wrestling.

Now you have to understand back then being a varsity Letterman and wearing that Letterman's jacket meant that you had arrived, other guys would be jealous, girls would fall over themselves to hang out with you, it literally meant that you were "in". Any Sophomore, Junior and Senior would have given just about anything to win a letter and sport that jacket.

However; I was a Freshman and not yet attending the high school, our high schools back in those days ran grades 10-12, I was still in Junior high one year away from attending. So you see where I am going with this, right?

I was literally about to become an icon, a man among boys, a legend. No Freshman prior to this had ever lettered in a varsity sport in my school. I had been picturing it in my mind all season long, had dreamed about and talked about, I visited the sporting goods store numerous times to make sure they had my size, "oh boy was this going to be great".

Then, it happened! As as I placing my headgear into my bag, Coach Mortan walked by and asked if he could see me in his office, I followed him to his office and sat down. What happened next was pretty much a blur and all of these many years later most of the conversation still escapes me except the following words..." You had a great freshman year and bright future in front of you however; I will not be giving you a letter at Tomorrow night's award banquet, we don't award Varsity letters to Freshman",

At that point, I went numb, I reminded the coach that I had 50 letter points based on wins, pins, tournament placing etc. and to qualify all I needed was 40 points. He said it didn't matter, awarding a varsity letter to me would demean the program and all of the upperclassman who had been with the program for several years who still had not earned their varsity letters.  He apologize and told me to keep my head up and there was always next season.

I was devastated, I ran all the way home, slammed my door and just started crying. I laid there for the next several hours on my waterbed (they were very popular back then) and finally fell asleep. I woke up about 3 AM still devastated and quite bitter. All I could think about was everyone was expecting me to walk into school Monday with that Letterman's jacket- what a loser I was!

Then literally no more than a few seconds later I had this flashback to when I was in the church the previous week. I had this remembrance of a saying that I had heard my mom say thousands of times about how Jesus loves us and wants a personal relationship with us. But this past Sunday she said that God is a gentleman and will never force himself upon someone or into any situation but that he stands at the door and waits for us to invite him in.

I was 15 years old, I had grown up going to church but at this point in my life, we went because we had to, plus my Mother was the Senior Pastor and we lived in the church Parsonage which was right next door to the church so was it wasn't open for debate. LOL.

I grew up in Sunday School and knew all of the Bible stories but didn't really care, I was too busy having fun and screwing around with my friends.

At this point, it was about 4am and I was desperate, so I decided that I was going to pray and here was my exact prayer..."Lord, I always hear my mother talk about how wonderful you are and how you desire to have a relationship with us and that care even about the smallest details of our lives, so I am asking that if you do exist, I am want to make you a deal tonight... "If you give me my Varsity Wrestling Letter tomorrow night I will spend the rest of my life serving you and telling everybody about how great you are".


Immediately after uttering that prayer, I called myself an "idiot" and cried myself back to sleep. The next day was the worst day of my life up to that point. I dreaded the banquet that night and just felt sad and like such a loser.

When the banquet time arrived I was filled with butterflies, and just knew I wasn't getting my letter, I sat there for the next two hours while stories and special moments from the season were shared, video clips were being played and I just sat there literally biting my lip so I would not cry, I was devastated.

After all the awards and letters were handed out the coach took to the microphone and said..." I have only more thing to give out and I would like to award freshman _____ _________ with his Varsity letter! Wait-What??? I looked up and couldn't believe it! Did he just say it? He motioned for me to come up there and get it- I slowly walked up there in somewhat of a daze- did this really just happen? Coach looked at me shrugged his should and said..."I woke up at 4 in the morning and couldn't sleep, wrestling with this decision, congratulations!".

As I sat in the car on the way home still numb, I kept replaying these events in my head... No way I got that letter- this coach never goes back on anything he says, ever! Then it hit me, It wasn't coach-It was Jesus! He woke up at 4am , the exact time I made my deal with the lord, I immediately told my mom the whole story and what exactly happened. She told me that God had a specific plan and purpose for my life that one day he would reveal it to me but in the meantime, I needed to thank him.

Upon arriving home I sat my letter on my desk and began to thank the lord for answering my prayer and giving me my letter. As I was doing that I had a very strong impression/feeling that God was going to hold me to our deal, as a matter of fact, that is exactly what I heard in a strange sort of way-not an audible voice per say but a strange inner knowing from deep within side of me.

Less than a few months later at Summer camp, I invited Jesus into my heart and became a Christian and its crazy but literally during my confession and praying the sinner's prayer, I had a vision of exactly what happened that night that I made the deal with the lord about my varsity letter and I was reminded that I promised God that I would spend the rest of my life serving him and telling others about him.

That was over 25 years years ago and every so often that same night and deal that I made with God comes up when I am praying. After all this time, I am still amazed, that the same God who created the Heavens and the Earth, The same God who parted the Red Sea, The same God who delivered Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the the Fiery Furnace is the same God who hears and answers our small, insignificant prayers. WOW.

But don't you see? To a God who loves us and desires a personal relationship with us, our prayers are not insignificant. The Bible says in Job 22.27 "Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him and he shall hear thee". God promises us in his word that he will hear our prayers.

I am amazed as I travel throughout this country and speak with sales and business leaders who look at me crazy when I ask them if they pray over their sales, businesses and employees. "Why would I do that?" is the question that I am often asked. My reply is always..."Why wouldn't you?".

This is where we miss it- God wants to be invited into every area of our lives...our marriages, homes, finances, businesses, sales transactions, etc.

When we invite God in, we invite his blessing, favor, wisdom and protection. Why would we not want those things in every area of our lives?

I want to challenge all of you this week to personally invite God into a new area of your life where you have not invited him before-finances, marriage, other relationships, business, sales, any area. Or maybe you have an area that you have not invited God in for some time that has been on your heart.

In my 20 years in the business world I have seen God move mightily in my business, I have seen God change hearts, increase sales, reduce cancels, drive EBIDTA margins into 200% flow through on additional Revenue, calm storms from arrogant CEO's, and so much more. God has been free to move because everyday I invite him into my business and everyday just like that night over 25 years ago with my varsity letter He doesn't know how to be anything but faithful. I love Jesus!

I am attaching a photo of the Varsity Letter that I received that night for your enjoyment.

"For the Eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole Earth to show himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are perfect toward him".