Lean Into God

Our hearts are filled with gladness
And pride in Canyon High.
We’ll play the game the live long day
Dishonor ne’er draws nigh.
We’ll spend our lives in serving
For she has taught us how.
So here’s our pledge, we’ll give our best
For Canyon High School now.

That is my high school alma mater. It is a song I know well and by heart. As a twelve-year senior, I memorized that early on, and to this day, if you hold a #1 in the air and start singing that song near me, I can’t help but join in.

This year celebrates the 20^th year since I graduated from that school, and while those locally gathered for the reunion, I watched my kids play in a soccer game. Life has a way of giving you moments to enjoy the present while honoring the past.

I loved high school. I know that is not everyone’s story, but it is mine, which means I was all in on all things Canyon High School. Our mascot was, and still is, the bald eagle. So, in high school, one of the Scriptures I knew was Isaiah 40:31.

But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.

Why? Because if you are a Christian in small-town Texas, trying to encourage your football team to win, you use verses like this one. I know, a little cheesy, but it was genuine.

However, do you know what verse I didn’t use? Deuteronomy 32:11.

Like an eagle that rouses her chicks
and hovers over her young,
so he spread his wings to take them up
and carried them safely on his pinions.

Why? Well, God, as an eagle that rouses her chicks, doesn’t inspire you to win any football games. However, as a parent of young kids, I value God's nurturing and strengthening side.

I believe it is helpful for us to have a healthy view of all the aspects of God. Isaiah and Moses use the eagle as a metaphor for how God relates to us. Yet, each of them points to different aspects of the eagle. One sees the strength in the hard times, and one sees the nurturing in the hard times.

Perhaps that is because we need God to carry us in different seasons, and in others, we need him to strengthen us. Whatever you need, lean into God, for he is both.

Grant Hickman
Executive Pastor of Coaching