They say football is a game of inches.

It is, of course. A few more inches taller and your star quarterback throws over the gorilla who's about to tackle him. A couple inches stretch and your receiver actually catches the ball. An inch to the right and your kicker gets it through the uprights instead of bouncing off in some wild direction. And if that running back can just stretch out his hands when going down a couple inches more you'll have a touchdown instead of turning the ball over on downs inside the 1 yard line.

Without those inches, though, it's the story of losers. Your quarterback is blocked, maybe sacked. Your receiver gets nothing for the gut-wrenching shot he's going to take in the side either way. Your kicker starts hearing rumors of being traded. And that running back won't have 6 more points to add to his record. But is that all?

Well, the whole team suffers if it costs you the game. Maybe that was the game that would have put you into the playoffs, and now you're all done for the year. You might think "wait 'til next year!" but some of your players are retiring this year. So it could be a bigger loss than you think.

I would submit that LIFE is a game of inches. When I was young, I was playing on a large dirt pile (a hill, actually) and knocked a rock loose. One of my cousins was at the bottom of the hill, and the rock (about as big as my two fists together) tumbled down and hit him in the head. A little to the left and he would probably be dead, as it would have struck him squarely in the temple. (Sorry, Mark!)

A few inches of snow can give you a heart attack. Two inches of rain is almost too much for a garden. Grow a little and that cookie jar is j-u-s-t within reach. Take a couple off your waistline and your pants fall down. A box can be just a few inches too big to fit in your car to take home from the store, no matter what way you spin it. And when you need 16 inches of pipe to fit through a 15 inch wall, 14 inches isn't going to do it. Ever.

The guy who wins the marathon goes the WHOLE distance, and doesn't stop short even by a few inches. Good intentions are not enough. He wanted to run the whole way, but hey everyone else who enters the race does too! It takes more than just wanting, and even more than just trying!

A couple in the bible sold their land and gave it to the church. I don't believe they had to, and yes I think it was generous of them. However, they lied about it, to magnify their giving in an attempt to make themselves look even better. In a way, they went both too far and not far enough. Some could even say it was a matter of inches. Maybe they only kept back a little bit.. "What harm did they do to anyone else?" is the modern reasoning. If you are going to obey God, then obey him. Don't do it half-heartedly or with strings and deals attached, expecting something in return. If you're going to be generous and help someone. then help them, don't take advantage of them or use the occasion to toot your own horn, not even a little. Either do it, or not, for the right reasons.

If you're trying to get to heaven and wait just a little too long to do anything about it, you won't "measure up." If you can't bring yourself to "go the distance", by just being a "few inches short", you're not going to reach it. (And if little eyes watching think it's not important to you, then it won't be important to them, either!) What's a few inches, either way? It could be a whole eternity. Think about it.

Randy