art monk

for those of you who don't know, i grew up in a redskin family. it was what we watched on sunday afternoon and it's the first thing talked about at family reunions.

when i was a boy, my favorite shirt in the whole world was a thin grey fading t-shirt that said "my two favorite teams are the redskins and whoever is playing the cowboys."

but above all, what i remember about football and growing up can be wrapped up in two words. art monk. he was an incredible receiver who played from 1980-1993. he had 953 catches as a redskin and often our living room would erupt as he grabbed onto the game winner.

2 months ago, in august, art monk (along with teammate darrell green) was inducted into the football hall of fame. what he said during that ceremony has impacted me and i wanted to share it with you. this is a man who loves Jesus and loves to share Him with others. i appreciate that.

for many years, he has been denied entrance into the hall of fame, even though his stats have been easily as good as others who were accepted in. many people spoke on his behalf, but in his speech, you will see a man who trusted in the Lord and knew that Jesus was to be his focus.

He was introduced by his son James Monk Jr. who said:

"You know, growing up as a son of Art Monk is something that I would never ever change for the world. And as his son, there's always been this question I could never escape, that I could never avoid, that I could never get away from and that was: Do you want to be like Art when you grow up? Now, you think such an easy question would have such an easy answer. Let me tell you a few things that go into answering this question..."

James concluded by saying,

"So to answer the question, do you want to be like Art Monk when you grow up, my answer is I'd rather be like Dad. Dad, thank you for being the man of God that God has called you to be, and for raising me in the same way. As your best friend, as your admirer, as your biggest fan and as your son, I want to tell the whole world that I love you and I'm truly honored and blessed to induct you into the 2008 Pro Football Hall of Fame."

Now please read what Art Monk said during his induction speech:

... Getting here did not come without controversy, as I'm sure it did with some of the guys sitting behind me. But through it all, I'm here with a greater appreciation for something that not every player is able to achieve and for the people who stood up for me and spoke out on my behalf...

What I've tried to convey to those who were upset about the process was that I was okay with it. But in all due respect, that as great as this honor is, it's not what really defines who I am or the things that I've been able to accomplish in my life...

And even now as a Hall of Famer, the one thing I want to make very clear is that my identity and my security is found in the Lord. And what defines me and my validation comes in having accepted his son Jesus Christ as my personal savior. And what defines me is the Word of God, and it's the Word of God that will continue to shape and mold me into the person that I know he's called me to be.

So I've learned a long time ago never to put my faith or trust in man, for man will always fail you. Man will always disappoint you. But the Word of God says that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. And He will never fail you.

And that is what I live by and what I stand on. Being included into this fraternity is a pretty humbling experience for me. I always grew up seeing these guys as giants and legends who make significant contributions to the game of football. And it's pretty hard for me to believe that I've now been included as part of them. Growing up I was never voted the most likely to succeed. And there was never anything about me that would have given anyone the impression that I would have played in the NFL, let alone to be standing here.

There's a scripture that I think about almost every day and I've come to personalize it to my life. It says: "Lord, who am I that you are mindful of me?" [Psalm 8:4]. And the Apostle Paul says, "Think of what you were when you were called. Not many were wise by human standards. Not many were influential. Not many were born of noble birth" [1 Corinthians 1:26]. And when I look at my life and how I grew up, I certainly had none of those qualities or benefits.

But I understand and I know that I'm here not by, in, and of my own strength-but it's by the grace and the power of God upon my life, who I know gave me favor along the way, and who provided opportunity and room for me to use gifts.

So I am very grateful to receive this honor, and I can stand here before you and say, "Hey, look at me, look at what I did." But if I'm going to boast, I'm going to boast today in the Lord, for it's because of him that I'm here and I give him thanks and glory and honor for all that he has done for me. (thanks to C.J.Mahaney for speech text)

Isn't that great!? a humble man, giving glory to Jesus. Jesus said that if we humble ourselves, He will exalt us. What a fresh example also as a parent. I hope Ava sees character in my life that she would like to embrace.

If your looking for a current football player to be praying for and to watch, I would like to introduce you to Aaron Kampman.

He's number 74 on the Packers, a great defensive end, and a shining example of what it means to be a Christian.

Aaron knows the Lord deeply and has a sincere love for everyone around him.