When Boobie lost his salvation

I love sports movies based on real stories. I’m not always the best at figuring out the line between the “based on” part and the “real” part, but I guess for the entertainment value I’m not especially looking for the boring truth but more the exciting “based on” truth. Well my choice this past Friday night of Friday Night Lights was no let down. It was the story of a 1988 West Texas football team in their quest to be state championships.

The story line that caught my eye was that of star fullback James “Boobie” Miles. He is a cocky loud-mouthed leader who is the heart of his team. His life is football and his future looks bright. But near the end of the first game of the season he severely hurts his knee. And his life will never be the same…some might say his life ended. Football was his savior which would lift him out of the despair of being stuck in Odessa, Texas for the rest of his life. And when he lost the ability to play football, he lost his salvation.

So I wondered is this “based on” or is this “real”. So I clicked through the extra DVD features and found the “The Story of the 1988 Permian Panthers”. The clip confirmed that Boobie was cocky, he was good and he did hurt his knee ending his football playing career. The interview with the real Boobie showed that he is a nice fun loving guy, but that he has wondered how his life would have been different if the injury had not happened. It might even eat him up at times, because football was his savior.

In the story Boobie reflected on his injury… “I guess God had something else for me. Maybe I would not have my twins I guess. Maybe I would not be as good of a Dad as I am I guess. I look at it like that. Keeps me from going crazy. You dig what I’m saying.”

Football was Boobies life, it was the way he spoke, the way he expressed himself and one day that life was snatched away from him. That could happen to any of us. In an instant our lives could be forever changed our “saviors” could be ripped from us. Maybe that is why Jesus offers the comfort of security in the life he can provide as a savior. Because he knows that other things won’t really save us. Football is a good way of life but it can be snatched. Jesus is a better way of life, because he can't be lost.

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. John 10:28