First Love

My dad has lost his first love and it has rocked my world.

A little over 23 years ago, my family moved from Beirut, Lebanon, to Green Bay, Wisconsin. Many wondered what prompted such a drastic move, and we joked that it was because of the Green Bay Packers.

Though we joked, we really were a little bit serious. My father became a Green Bay Packers fan back in the Lombardi days in the 60s. While others were getting high on drugs, my father became addicted to the Packers. I grew up hearing about them, and as many good daughters do, I, too, became a die hard don’t get in my way cheesehead.

I recall Sunday after Sunday of sadness and frustration over their loss. I remember thinking the team would never amount to anything. But I gladly wore that cheesehead while my dad and I watched faithfully.

Then Brett Favre happened to the Packers and things were never the same again. I watch the crowds boo him to perfection. I saw the young Brett blossom into the best quarterback the NFL has ever seen. I watched glued to my television week after week in 1996 while the Packers ran the ball all the way to the superbowl.

And I celebrated with my father. We danced and cried and yelled and high fived. It was great.

Until one day Brett Favre retired. And oh, what a sad day that was. But not for long. Because he soon unretired. And retired. And unretired. And, well, we all know that sad story.

A little over a year ago Brett Favre did the unthinkable. He became a viking.

Then my dad did the unthinkable. He became a viking too.

I can barely type these words without shriveling inside. At first, I thought it was a phase. I genuinely believed he was partly kidding. But the truth came out last Sunday when the packers demolished the Vikings and I called my dad to discuss the game.

He couldn’t talk about it. He was too depressed about the loss. WHAT???? My brain froze, my sense of reality shifted, and I got on my knees to pray for him.

“Dad”, I said, “you’re not thinking straight. You can still repent of your ways and claim your first love”. “I just can’t”, he replied. “I feel nothing for the packers anymore.” “But that’s ridiculous. You’ve been with them through thick and thin, for over 50 years now. You can’t bail on them just because of 1 dumb guy.” I cursed brett and his dumb decisions in my head, then smartly added: “dad, don’t follow your feelings on this one. You know the truth. You’ve got to walk by what you know to be true, not what you feel or don’t feel.”

I even compared his defection to a man leaving his wife after 40 years of marriage. I got nothing. His mind was closed, his heart numb.

And then it hit me. My dad is like so many Christians who begin their lives dedicated to the cause of Christ. They live the Bible and breathe the truth. They make converts, and influence generations for Christ. Then somewhere along the path, they start following a man. They get bogged down by the seeming greatness of a person. That’s a huge mistake right there. No matter the man, he’ll eventually fall, he’ll eventually behave exactly like he’s meant to, like the man that he is. Not so with Christ – God became man, God in the flesh.

Before they know it, these Christians have jumped ship and there’s no turning back.

Maybe you’ve lost your first love. But maybe you’re not so far along there’s no turning back. Perhaps there’s still a chance of reclaiming the truth in your life. In revelations 2:4-5 we are given the secret to gain back that first love: repent of your ways. In other words, recognize where you are wrong and turn back to truth. Don’t let your feelings lead you. They are a terrible guide. Let the word of God lead you. It is the only true light.

And finally, understand this: it’s still not too late. The season’s not over. There’s still time for you to turn back to Christ.

Oh, the vikings will lose and the Packers much to my dismay will eventually fizzle away. But the truth of Jesus Christ will never lose its light.

Love so amazing, love so divine, demands my whole, my life, my all.

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