Being Matt Cassel

Can you imagine having to sit on the sidelines for 7 years before getting your big chance? Matt Cassel of the New England Patriots can. He can because he went to USC to be the quarterback for one of the great college football teams in the country. Instead, Cassel learned that he would be standing on the sidelines while Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart were leading the Trojans and winning Heisman trophies. He saw Carson Palmer get drafted as the number 1 overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft and Leinhart follow by being selected number 10 overall in 2006. Cassel was drafted (pick number 230 overall) by the New England Patriots in 2005. Most folks thought the Patriots were razor thin at quarterback and doomed to fail when Tom Brady got injured during the first game of the season. Admittedly, Cassel has grown into the position over the past 10 weeks...but who would have thought that he would be 1 of only 5 quarterbacks in the history of the NFL to pass for over 400 yards in 2 consecutive games and that the Patriots would have a winning record while both Palmer (injury) and Leinart (due to Kurt Warner's great play) have been on the sidelines for weeks?

So, what's Matt Cassel got to do with anything relating to God? Directly, he may or may not (as I don't know him or his relationship with Christ)...but I'll give you some examples of men God used for extraordinary purposes after waiting in what seemed to be everyday activities. David was tending his family's sheep when Samuel came to anoint him as the next king of Israel (1 Samuel 16:6-13). God waited until Moses was 40 years old to deliver his plans for Moses by speaking to him from the burning bush (Exodus 3:2-4). Peter and Andrew were just doing their jobs when Jesus came and recruited them to be His disciples.

The bottom line is, we never know when God is going to come calling with His new mission for us (Proverbs 16:9). All we can do is to be faithful with what we have been given, have open ears, and a pure heart...and be ready to play when God calls our number, just like Matt Cassel was ready for the Patriots.