Witness to a Redemption

Michael Vick is back in the NFL after a two year ban, while fulfilling his prison sentence and house arrest following his release from prison. That he should want to return to the NFL is his right and the rest of us with rocks in our hands need to go look in the mirror at ourselves before condemning him any further. I'm still searching for the other perfect person to walk on this earth since Jesus and have come up empty thus far.

This has the potential to be a truly inspiring and epic story. Before his troubles, the story of Michael Vick could have been titled, "It's All About Me". He didn't care about rules, he didn't care about what the average fan thought about him, because he was more important than either rules or them. And then he was humbled. His money could not prevent the power of our laws from reaching him and bringing him down, and what a fall it was. He was completely exposed for what he was in secret. He was completely humiliated. His story did truly become "it's all about me", though he would rather have kept those specific details in the dark, because they were terrible.

Now here he is again and I am moved by what I have seen so far. He is humble and he is broken, and these two traits are indicative that he has undergone some serious soul searching and he didn't like what he found. Because of that, he wants to become a different person than the one he was two years ago. He understands that one more hiccup and his ban from football will be for life. He wants to change and I for one think most Americans should applaud him for that attitude and should encourage him to stay true to the path he is on.

I don't know if this is a spiritual story, but it has all of the elements that usually cause one to seek the Father. A terrible fall and no friends around. A deep understanding of powerlessness over your situation and understanding that you cannot change it. Then a turning and asking for help, admitting that you are unable to change, but "you Father can change me". Here lies the lesson I hope Mr. Vick has learned from this ordeal, and the rest of us would do well to embrace or at least remember ourselves. No life is so messy that the Father cannot redeem. He takes the broken pieces and from them builds a new and beautiful life. Grow Mr. Vick, you have inspired me in your brokenness and I for one thank you and embrace you. I hope the best for you as you move forward.