Ticket Stub
This post is based on a conversation I observed at a Florida vs Tennessee football game a few years ago.
I watched a young man / fan (I later learned he was 25) come up to a gatekeeper and tell them that he was ready to go back into the game. This is something that literally happens about 100 times every game I think. Anyway, UT policy on pass out’s (going in and out of the stadium on a stub) has been the same for over fifty years - it is not allowed. I must also say that all the gate keepers use common sense about this rule.
From what I have seen, every game someone tells the gate keepers how they went in and out all year long last year at this same gate, which is a lie due to the fifty+ year old policy. The sum of this paragraph is that it seems to me that gate keepers get a lot of liars every week at UT games. That is surprising no one, least of all me.
Anyway, back to this particular story. This young man pulls out two stubs, he tells the gatekeeper one is for his wife and one is for himself. That is very believable, no problem thus far except that the guy has left the stadium and you are not allowed back in once you leave. He then tells the gatekeeper that he has to go back in to sit with his wife.
The gatekeeper then ask why he needed back in after leaving? I assume this meant that the gatekeeper was leaving the possibility open for the man to go back in if he had a valid reason for leaving. The mans answer - I just do.
The gatekeeper tells him of UT policy’s for the third time. Bottom line he is not allowed back in on a stub. The gate keeper goes on to explain the main reason for that is that UT / the gatekeepers do not have the ability to have 107,000+ people go in and out, thus reloading the stadium several times during a game. In addition it also keeps people from dropping stubs to friends outside and them coming in on the same ticket. It also keeps people from walking out selling part of a stub and then two come back in on the same ticket. There are also security issues with allowing people in and out. Those all seemed valid to me as I listened and I am sure you could probably come up with a few more reasons yourself without me going on. The guys response - “This is only my second game.”
The gatekeeper then explaining to him that the policy is also printed on the back of the ticket. Which got the response that I found interesting. The man angrily said “Dude I am freaking 25!!! I don’t read.” The gatekeepers response, which was much calmer then the fans was simply - “Dude I am freaking 34, and I do read.” Yes both the gatekeeper and the fan really did use the term freaking just to reassure you. After the gatekeeper responded to him the fan knew that he was not going to get in at this gate and he went walking away.
Now you may ask what does this have to do with God and such. Well simply put, many times we respond to God and His ways in same way. We may not say it out loud but mental we say - “God I am a freaking human, I do not read (listen / learn).” God then responds with explaining one more time His way’s, call on our life, and reminds us of a few of His teachings and shares some of His knowledge / wisdom with us. Fortunately after this, God then responds with - “I know you are human, that you do not listen, learn or read most of the time, but I still love you.” Then He forgives us.
Even with the combination of our life’s knowledge and God’s understanding of our nature, we still find ourselves simply claiming stupidity or ignorance many times when it comes to God’s will and way. A lot of people seem to respond to God with some variant of the root statement- “I don’t read (listen)”. We do not study God’s word enough, we do not listen to His still small voice enough and then when we are confronted with the fact that we are wrong we say - “Dude I don’t read (listen).” We know that our goose is cooked, we are caught dead to rights, our lack of attention and focus is exposed for all to see, so all we have left is the “I’m stupid and lazy, so please forgive me” response.
Fortunately for us God does forgive us. However, there will be a time when Christ returns that our “I’m stupid, forgive me” response will be too late. It scares me to think about just how many people will rely on such a excuse when judgement time comes. They will know they ignored, fled or mocked God throughout their days. They will have all had opportunities to respond to Him, become fully forgiven for their actions and selfishness, and they will have chosen not too. For them it will be to late, and God will no longer accept - “God I don’t read (listen)” as valid.
Unfortunately for them God is also the last and final judge. As most in modern nations know, there is but one heaven and the only way to it is through Jesus. There are no other “gates” to go too, no other ticket takers to plead with. All that is left for them is eternal separation from God.
Today I am thanking God for His forgiveness of me. I am also thanking him for using this fan and his actions to teach me more about God. This fans actions really made me look at how I go to God many times looking for forgiveness for something I was just to lazy or stupid to learn on my own.
This situation also has made me really think about all the lost. Man they are really screwed and they do not know it. Their eternity is sealed without Christ, and their earthly excuses will be null and void. God is the same, He is the great judge, and the just Father. All that come to Him are saved, all that reject Him are lost. WOW WHAT A WAKE CALL UP IF THE WORLD WOULD JUST LISTEN!!!
Be strong, stay courageous and never shrink back from the Godly duties that you are called to as they are impacting the world, even if we do not always see it. Hopefully, like myself, you will start working on using the “I didn’t know” excuse less with God .
