In the huddle before every play the fullback would ask, “Which way do we go Pat?” The fullback was a great athlete in Middle School football, but the kid refused to study the playbook. He was one of the best athletes in school and a large individual so the coach continued to play him.

Our offensive formation was the straight T. The fullback was to take a hand off from the quarterback on either side of the center in a dive play or he was to go to the left or right basically towards the defensive tackle or end and block ahead of the halfback. The coach thought of the pass as a negative thing. So before every play the fullback would ask the halfback which way to go after the quarterback called the play?

My first thought, when I think back to that team, is I laugh. It is a good story to have fun with. My second thought is I know the kid should have studied the playbook and I know he should have paid more attention to the play calling by the quarterback so that later in the season he could have known where to go by himself, but at least the kid never got the play wrong. How many times have you seen a kid think he knows the play and goes the wrong way? The quarterback turns the wrong way and smashes into the fullback and they fumble the ball. The quarterback reaches the ball out for the option play fake but the back is on the other side of the line behind him? The guard pulls the wrong direction and either steps on the quarterback’s foot or he runs into the other guard pulling right at him. You get the picture.

So which way do we go? Most of us in our lives go the way we want to go. The heck with the quarterback play calling. So in our lives we step on the quarterbacks feet, we run into the other players, we fumble the ball, we miss our assignments, we make a mess out of our lives in a football sense. God gives us the freedom to do whatever we want to do and we all screw it up, we all are sinners. But there is hope. Don’t ever give up. There is that guy in the huddle that will tell you which direction to go on every play. He is the Holy Spirit the Holy Representative sent by God the Father to be with us on this earth. All you have to do is ask him the question? Which way should I go?

Isaiah 48:17-18 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea;