You may remember it as an '80s TV hit series or the movie version. They called it "Fame," and it's back as a new movie. It's a story of some kids, struggling for perfection at this New York City performing arts high school. And if you remember anything, you'll remember the driving title song. I'm not going to sing it, but it says, "Fame! I'm going to live forever. Baby, remember my name."
Well, it's time to put away the short sleeves and bring out the old long sleeves and, of course, to enjoy those changing colors and raking all those leaves. Actually, I love this time of year, and I love watching all the seasons change.
My friend worked with young people on a Southwest Indian reservation for fourteen years. As part of his ministry, he'd get them out of the rez world they knew and take them to a youth camp I spoke for in the Rockies. It was my first real contact with Native young people - the seed of what would become our groundbreaking On Eagles' Wings ministry. My friend told me that those young people were so touched by God at the camp that they would do something Native kids just don't do. They would sing and even compose Jesus-songs all the way home until they got to the border of the reservation. He said the Jesus-songs stopped at the border of home.
Our sons used to come home from high school football practice hurting in places that they didn't even know they had places. Their coach worked his teams hard, and even in the August heat. But he built champions! He told them he was building a "fourth quarter team" - the kind of team who is still strong in the last quarter when other teams would be fading. You could hear it on the sidelines when it was clear that the fourth quarter was going to decide the game, "The fourth quarter is ours!"
The season's changing again. Summer's a memory, fall's here, and winter's not far off. I'm a four seasons kind of guy; I love them all. Of course, the season changing means we have to change, too - like our clothes, our clocks, our schedule, and our recreation. Each season has its unique beauty and its opportunities. And each season has its particular hazards and adjustments. But we need them all!
