Life Has a Way of Trashing Your Trophies

When he was still in college, Dr. James Dobson was quite a tennis player. As a matter of fact, he won the regional championship represented by the various colleges in his area of California. For years a beautiful gold trophy was displayed in the trophy case at Pasadena College, now Point Loma College. Well, the good doctor had almost forgotten that old trophy, as he went about his graduate training and secular ministry. It seems, however, that one of Jim Dobson’s college friends, who remained in the area, was jogging around the campus one day, and he noticed a glint in a dumpster.

Tim stopped and began to dumpster dive, as it has been called, and came out with an item he immediately recognized. Apparently someone at the college felt that old trophy had been on display well past its prime, and it was time to dispose of it. The tiny tennis player on top was broken in a couple of places, and the identification plate was in bad need of polishing. Tim took the trophy to a local shop, had it repaired and cleaned up, and mailed it to his friend, Dr. Dobson. Of course, when he opened it, tonight’s Giant of the Faith, was shocked to see it and to read Tim’s letter which accompanied it.

Dr. Dobson ends that little story with the poignant phrase,

“Life has a way of trashing your trophies.”

Yes, indeed it does. Who can dispute this. But I think we need to examine what we count as trophies, and I think we ought reevaluate where we invest our passions.

 

By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from "Unconventional Devotions" Copyright 2005

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