Entry by: Lori Overcash, Assistant Director of Hope & Help
I'm a big football fan! Have been as long as I can remember. My favorite team has always been the Redskins, and believe me, they've put my loyalty to the test. A LOT... But my #7 Joe Theismann jersey still hangs in my closet as a reminder of what was and hopefully can be again.
There are a few players I can't help but like, no matter who they play for. Brett Favre for one. (I can't even think his name without hearing it in John Madden's voice, can you?) He's just a hardworking, good ol' boy with extraordinary talent and he genuinely seems like a nice guy. He's kept us guessing with his "retired...not retired...retired again...not retired again" roller coaster ride, but besides that he seems like a fairly stable person. He's famous, but I feel that his world and mine would have a lot of common ground.
Yesterday, just after I heard of Farve's new contract deal, I received a "Christmas wish list" from our partner, Dolly, at the Veda School in India. She's asking for very basic and needed things, like new tables and chairs to replace the rusted out old ones in the school dining hall. It will cost just over $7,100 to provide the 100 tables and 500 chairs that she's asking for.
I started thinking what a big amount that is, but how it's nothing to somebody like our friend, Brett. I busted out my math skills on his $10.5 million annual salary and finally boiled it down to the fact that he makes enough in one minute of playing time ($10,937.50) to buy the tables and chairs. OK, if he's in the 50% tax bracket, he would have to play a minute and a half, but you get the point.
That led to an avalanche of thoughts and feelings. It did not lead to resentment of Favre; he's just taking what somebody is willing to pay. Who wouldn't?
It did lead me to wonder how we got to the point of paying ridiculous amounts to grown men to PLAY A GAME. It also led me to realize that God owns it all, even the check with Brett Favre's name on it. He also owns those tables and chairs that are setting in a warehouse somewhere and in His time, they'll be in the Veda dining hall, the place they were intended to be.
My math project also made me realize that whether we make $10,000 a minute or $10,000 a year, we need to know that it belongs to God. We are stewards, not owners and we should hold whatever we have with an open hand.
BRETT: If you're reading this, make your check payable to Hope and Help International, with "tables & chairs" in the memo. Thanks and "Go Vikings!"
