Hey Phil, you always send things to think about.  Always have food for
thought thanks


Lelia email [log in to unmask] msn [log in to unmask]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Phil Scovell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2004 10:22 PM
Subject: Mad Christians


> I know I have told this before but I have never forgotten it.  When I was
> about 13 years old, I joined our wrestling team.  I was never very good
but
> my last season I won 20 and lost 10 and won a second place trophy.  One
day,
> we were in practice and the coach was near my end of the mat.  When we
broke
> up and quit for the day, I walked over to the coach and asked him a
> question.  "Coach, I'm not all that strong and I've wrestled several guys
I
> just couldn't physically beat because of their strength.  What can I do?"
I
> figured he would tell me to start lifting weights.  Instead, he reminded
me
> of one of the guys on our team who always took first place in state each
> year.  He pointed out that this guy was far from the strongest guy on the
> team.  Furthermore, he said, wrestle him and watch how he moves.  He wins,
> because he out smarts the other guy.  Furthermore, he told me, if all else
> fails, get mad.  He said that many of his matches when he was in school he
> never could have won, but he either out smarted the guy or just got flat
out
> mad.  I thought it was lame advice for me but I worked out one day not
long
> after this talk with the guy he said wasn't strong.  He was right.  The
guy
> had no more strength than I did but man did he know what was happening
> between us as we moved around the mat.  One day, we were wrestling the
Iowa
> school for the deaf.  Super strong guys.  Oh, man, they were strong guys.
I
> hated wrestling them every year because I always lost.  They drag my
> roommate off the mat and he is crying from the pain inflicted during his
> match due to the powerful strength of his opponent.  I was up next.  As I
> walked out on the mat to meet the other guy, I could hear my roommate
crying
> in the background.  He was not very strong yet do to the accident that
> nearly killed him and that kept him in the hospital for many months.  I
said
> to myself, Scov, if you don't build up some mad steam right now, this
strong
> guerilla is going to break every bone in your body.  I got mad.  I got mad
> that my room mate was hurt.  I got mad because I hate wrestling these
tough
> guys and always losing.  The ref introduced me to the deaf student by
> placing our hands together.  He gave hand signals at the same time the
> whistle blew.  He grabbed me with strength I never remember seeing before.
> His arms were like still bands around me.  We went down and stayed down;
> rolling around the mat and he was moaning and groaning like he was going
to
> break me in half.  I was the fastest reverse switch wrestler on our team
so
> I waited for the right second when his grip wasn't quite as strong and
> snapped the reverse switch on him and drove him into the mat.  My mind
> searched rapidly through everything I heard the coach say and teach and I
> wrapped my best hold on to the struggling body beneath me.  I knew I could
> never pin someone this strong but I could stay ahead of him if I didn't
let
> him grab me and put the squeeze on me.  One thing was for sure.  I could,
at
> no price, allow myself to be on the bottom.  Suddenly, I was on the bottom
> but I instantly snapped a power switch and was back on top.  The nice
thing
> I like about the power switch was that it could be used by weaker guys to
> successfully force the other stronger guy down.  If he didn't fall forward
> while on his knees to the mat, his arm would snap.  I rode that kid like a
> wild bucking horse all over the mat.  He fought and kicked and I let my
> anger boil over and held on.  When it was finally over, I won by one point
> but the partially sighted team members of mine had to come out on the mat
to
> get me.  Sweat rolled off my slick skin like a river.  My arms literally
> ached so bad, I could not pull my jersey back on over my head.  I tried to
> protest them putting it on but the coach told them to so I would not get
the
> chills as I dried off.  My arms were aching clubs of useless rubber
hanging
> from my aching shoulders and I fought back the tears from the pain.  But
the
> coach had been right.  It worked.  I out smarted the guy who was stronger
> and a better wrestler overall and the extra strength I needed just to hold
> on to the guy came from being mad.  Now, we are told to be as harmless as
> doves and wise as serpents.  Holiness burns with heat, or should, in the
> life of every Believer.  Out smart the Enemy and get mad.  You will
> discover, he has no fight left in him when you oppose his lies in the name
> of the True Lord Jesus.
>
> Phil.
>