Thirteen Seconds
Thirteen seconds. After a long, back and forth battle, the Bills were up three over the Chiefs with just thirteen seconds remaining in regulation. From his own 25-yard line, quarterback Patrick Mahomes still liked his chances. Two brilliant plays later and after a hurried timeout, Harrison Butker, who had missed twice earlier in the game, sailed a 48-yard field goal through the uprights to send the game into overtime and eventually the Chiefs on to a most unlikely victory.
Thirteen seconds to recharge, to rally, to resurrect. Thirteen seconds to seize the moment, to flip the script, to shock the world. Thirteen seconds from heartbreaking defeat to stunning victory.
I was lying awake after the game, too pumped up to sleep, replaying those precious few seconds in my mind. They call it the “two-minute drill,” not the “thirteen-second drill.” Nobody does that, nobody comes through, nobody pulls that off. It’s never been done before, and yet it happened. Unbelievable.
I wondered, what have I ever accomplished in thirteen seconds? I’m not sure I can tie my shoes in thirteen seconds. Life rushes by so fast that we are always hustling to keep up. Who measures time in seconds anyway? Track stars? Olympic swimmers? We tend to think in hours and days and weeks, not just seconds, tiny instants, flickering moments ticking by.
Thirteen seconds. Maybe Mahomes is right after all. Maybe there’s always time to act, to try, to play, to respond, to do what couldn’t be done. Every breath and beat of our heart is a chance, an opportunity, a golden moment in time, brimming with potential.
The truth is, like it or not, we are all on the clock. We’re all in the game, but our time is limited. It doesn’t last forever. Our chances to make a difference in this world tick by and we can’t stop the clock. As Benjamin Franklin said, “You may delay, but time will not.”
So, whether you are just kicking off or you’re watching the clock wind down, get your head in the game. Now’s the time to play ball. Even if you are playing from behind, don’t quit, don’t give up. Make every second count. Play hard to the final gun.
One day this old broken world of ours will be changed in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, transformed by the One who makes all things new. You see, Mahomes isn’t the only game changer who can shock the world. Come, Lord Jesus.
Comments