Yesterday, I had a God moment when I turned to the Paul Finebaum Show. God works in mysterious ways! Paul's guest, Dr. Kevin Elko, is a Sports Consultant for college and pro football teams. His clients include Alabama and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Dr. Elko was used by God to capture my attention (and I predict all Paul's viewers).
The first thing that grabbed me was an account of his recent heart attack. He said he had many injuries, but the 20 minutes of his heart attack was far worse. Yet, he was at peace. Dr. Elko is the master of succinct powerful phrases. He said the heart attack was a wake-up call, and he didn't even know he needed one! He has since changed his diet and runs. Also, each day Dr. Elko does something that is simple, but powerful. He recites the 23rd Psalm. He usually does this twice a day. His key phrase for the after-math of the heart attack:
IT DIDN'T HAPPEN TO ME, IT HAPPENED FOR ME.
Just let that roll around in your head and reach your soul. It reminds me of Romans 8:28
And we know God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
I have loved the part about God causing all things to work together for the good of those who love God for years, but it just hit me about the second part. An interpretation that I never thought about prior---God causes all these things to work to accomplish God's purposes for each of us.
TOO COOL!
Paul took callers during the show. The manner in which Dr. Elko answered the calls was a blessing to me. He would speak to the caller by name. He would speak words of life and positivity and appreciation (when appropriate).
One example was a veteran who was paralyzed and recently discovered he had contracted Parkinson's disease. The caller thanked Dr. Elko. Much of the doc's advice was DO NOT have self-pity. The caller was encouraged and grateful. However, Dr. Elko expressed appreciation to this veteran for his service. Dr. Elko did not look for any accolades.
Another example was a pastor from Texas. He had many gracious words for Dr. Elko. However, Dr. Elko told the pastor that what he was doing as a pastor was much more important than his own work.
Dr. Elko spoke about talking to himself. He used Bible verses such as being courageous. He claimed God's Word---even if he had to tell himself more than once. Our decisions are what are important, not our feelings. (I think that is one lesson Alabama uses.)
The final lesson for me: Listen to people, Learn from people, and Help people.
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