A Prayer from A Long-Suffering Vikings Fan

God, I’m guessing you could care less about NFL football. So, here’s the deal…Since you don’t really care about football, but you DO care for the long-suffering… why not just work a miracle and let the Vikings win the Superbowl this year? I mean, think about it…

The quarterback’s first name is Christian… that’s a pretty good start right there.. and let’s face it…if he were to win the Superbowl this year, EVERYONE would know it is a miracle… since, based on game one, it seems he clearly does not have the skills to do it on his own.

Secondly, it has been a tough year for our family. Breast Cancer has been no picnic for my bride. This would give her great joy. (Okay, it would probably give ME even greater joy… but I’m trying to evoke your sympathetic-side here God… so I have to lead with my best card.)

Lastly, Adrian Peterson… I mean, wow… I know the Bible doesn’t actually say “God helps those who help themselves”.. but the guy HAS worked awfully hard these last couple of years. I know it is not very Lutheran of me, but if you were ever going to just throw out a little earthly-reward-based-on-work-ETHIC, Peterson seems as good a candidate as anyone, right?

So… that’s my prayer for this first Sunday in the Season, Lord. And I’m sticking to it. And.. God.. just so you know… I may not be watching the Men of Purple very closely for a while…. not that I don’t still BLEED purple, I do… but it HAS been a tough year.. and I just don’t have the emotional reserve to handle it right now. Today, listening to the game on the radio while driving home from Madison, I nearly took out three WI Drivers… just out of pure frustration for the way the Vikes were playing. (And they weren’t even playing the Packers! The drivers with WI license plates just seemed like a good target for my anger at the moment!)

I will check back in now and then.. (okay… probably every Sunday)… to see how things are going… but I am going to hand it over, completely, to you at this point. I have tried, and failed, oh these many years, to faithfully cheer with great consistency… through good times.. and mostly bad. Now, I surrender. It is all up to you now God. Go for it. And thanks for your time just now. It makes me feel a little better. (Although a “MN VIKINGS WORLD CHAMPIONS” sweatshirt, size XXL, would make me feel even better. You know where to find me.)

Love, from the kid in Marion, IA.

Amen.