Derek Dorsett takes on hockey giant John Scott
The Blue Jackets list Dorsett as being 6-feet, 198 pounds.
The Blackhawks list Scott as being 6-feet-8, 270 pounds.
The Blackhawks list Scott as being 6-feet-8, 270 pounds.
Hockey is an awesome sport. It is fast, hard-fought and a mastery of quick moves and wicked fast slapshots. But when you ask the average American about hockey, the first response generally has something to do with fighting. Hockey players fight. Fighting is a part of the game - it is a tool used by coaches and teammates to even the score or to rally the troops or sometimes to simply work through frustrations.
On Saturday, my dad and I went to watch the Columbus Blue Jackets take on the Chicago Blackhawks. The Jackets have suffered through - as have all of their fans - one of the worst meltdowns in NHL history; living in the proverbial basement nearly all season. While the Blackhawks have had a run of bad luck, they are consistently in the hunt for a playoff birth and are one of the giants of the central division.
By the middle of the third period, the Jackets were down 6-1 in a veritable blow-out with nearly half of the stands cheering for the Blackhawks. To say the mood for the Blue Jackets and their fans was depressed would have been an understatement.
But, in the midst of the collective angst of Blue Jacket nation - Derek Dorsett - the original mini-mite - took on John Scott. Dorsett attacked Scott with everything he had even though he is nearly a foot shorter and almost 100lbs lighter than Scott. Dorsett had little care for his own well being, he was focused on trying to defeat the giant in front of him to support his team and to show everyone in the stands that even though the Jackets might be down - they were certainly not out.
The Jackets went on to lose the game, but the loss isn't what resonated with me; it was Derek Dorsett's performance. Dorsett - in the midst of mounting pressures and most assured defeat - took on a giant with the spirit of a man who knows what he is fighting for.
David did something similar with Goliath - meeting the giant in the middle of a battle field with little more than stones and some string. He challenged Goliath - not because David thought he was stronger or better but because his people needed him to challenge the giant. David needed to challenge the giant for himself too.
In life, we will all face our giants. Some will fall down quickly like Goliath with a simple smooth stone. And some will defeat us like Scott vs. Dorsett. But it is important that we keep fighting - that we keep getting up to fight again. The giants we face in our life help us to see God's hand reaching down to help us up or paving the way to victory.
Giants can trip us up. They can scare us from ever wanting to leave our safe world. But we must be like David - - and Derek Dorsett - - and always be willing to face them. Win, lose or draw pressing through the fight, scrapping like we believe we will always succeed, will help us to be better prepared for the next giant in our path.
Scripture
Quote of the Day
“Attitude is the aroma of the heart. If your attitude stinks, your heart is not right.”
From the movie, Facing the Giants
Question
When have you fought against your giants?
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