Answering the Call

I don't watch movies very much these days. It's not that I don't like movies anymore (even though really good ones are becoming harder to come by), and it's not necessarily a matter of desire. It's more a case of priorities when it comes to my time. In those precious and less common moments when I actually have down time, I would much rather hang out with the family, catch a game on TV, or do absolutely nothing while my brain flushes itself of the stresses and strains of the past week. And in those rare times when Rose and I have a date, spending $20 to sit in a dark room for two hours and not talk to one another is not at the top of my list.


Earlier this week, however, I actually did sit down with Rose here at home and watch a movie. The flick was We Are Marshall, and I have to admit I've had a really hard time getting it out of my mind. The images and scenes have been flittering in and out of my brain all week, and it's taken me a while to figure out why. But finally, after a few days of slower-than-average reflection, I think I have it nailed.

But first, a little background. The movie is the true story of the Marshall University football program. In 1970 almost the entire football team, coaching staff, and many boosters perished in a tragic plane crash while returning from a game. Everyone on the flight actually died; the only ones left to resurrect the program were the few who did not make the trip due to injuries or circumstances. Through the efforts of the remaining players and the student body, the school's administration was convinced to bring the football program back for the 1971 season.

The bulk of the story revolves around three main characters: Nate Ruffin, one of the surviving players and captain of the team; Red Dawson, the only surviving assistant coach; and Jack Lengyel, the new head coach with the charge of making a team out of literally nothing. As we travel through the movie with these three, we are brought into their pains and struggles as they try to accomplish this enormous task while simultaneously dealing with their own grief and that of others. Also, they are forced to contantly struggle with the internal question of whether this is really even the right thing to do.

Alright, now that I've established the background, here is why I think this movie has been on my mind all week. I think that without even trying to be, this movie is primarily about the idea having a call in life. A mission that we know in the deepest parts of our soul we have been given to fulfill and accomplish. The three characters I mentioned had a common call - to resurrect a football program, a university, and literally an entire community from the ashes.

I believe every one of us in life have been given a call by God. There are things deep inside of us that we know we are good at and have to do or we will shrivel up and die. They are often the things that come to us most naturally, and when we use them to serve others we see great results and those around us are usually enriched by our efforts. We are then "called" to use these talents in certain arenas and occupations in life to accomplish assigned tasks, goals, or missions. And when we are in the center of our "calling", doing what we love to do and confident we are good at, we feel enriched, fulfilled, and alive. We know that God is using us to do the things we were specifically created to do.

Here is the problem, however, that I think many people run up against. The idea of the "call" has often been romanticized, and as a result too many have a misunderstanding that following our call in life means smooth sailing and hugs and kisses. This is not always the case; actually it is probably most often not the case. As in the situation of our three protagonists in We Are Marshall, the task they were given was filled with a ton of obstacles, great pain, and a lot of tears. It meant having people question their decisions and fighting against them at almost every turn. It meant having to deal with their own internal fears and heartache on a very gutwrenching and life-changing level.

But ultimately they had no choice; they each new that if they did not answer the call they would regret it for the rest of their lives. And here is the part that doesn't exactly make my heart flutter with excitement - sometimes, even after we've accomplished something great and believe we've done what we were called to do, the pain remains. For me, one of the most poignant scenes from the movie was at the end. Marshall had just won their first game since coming back, and there was a sense that they had done it - they had truly achieved the impossible. Afterwards the celebrating players and coaches all left the locker room and headed out. All except for one - Red Dawson. He came quietly back into the room, sat down on a bench, looked around at the remains of the great celebration, and he wept. And I personally did not get the impression they were the tears of joy, relief, and satisfaction. They were bitter tears. They were the tears of pain; the pain of missed friends, the pain of lost dreams, the pain of memories that won't fade or will never get to be made. But despite knowing all along that this would probably be the end result, Coach Dawson answered the call anyway. He had a talent that God had given, and it appears to me that God had bestowed it on him for such a time as this - to be a healing agent to others despite the pain it would cause within in his own heart.

I feel like this is quite a downer of an ending to this post. But I don't mean it to be. In a strange way I hope it might be an encouragement to someone. What is your calling? Are you afraid to do what you know God has called you to do because you're afraid of the pain that might result? Of failure? Of what you might learn about yourself? It's okay; I know that feeling as well because it has found a home in my heart from time to time. But God will give you the strength to make it through, and you will end up being a blessing to others in ways you never dreamed possible. The only thing that could possibly be more scary than what you will face in the process of answering the call would be not to answer at all.