Thread by @harrydaniyan

THE ONE WHO STAYED BEHIND

Dimitar Berbatov & Christiano Ronaldo played for Manchester United in the 2008/2009 football session.
That was the only season both players were on the books of Manchester United at the same time...

Berbatov said of Ronaldo; “I was lucky to play alongside Ronaldo for a season. He was 100% professional, on the training pitch & off it.
I don't remember him ever being late for training...

He was always preparing in the gym, after training he would stay & do extra work like working on his shooting, then he would go swimming & go to the gym again…”
The club had strict training sessions. The players had to fit into the training schedules to stay fit & competitive...

They all wanted to excel.
They stuck religiously to these training schedules.
Their lifestyles- their training, eating, drinking, sleeping- everything was under scrutiny.
They were professional athletes, their physical fitness was very key to their success...

So they aligned themselves to these rigid training schedules.
when the training sessions were over, the players would leave for home.
BUT RONALDO WOULD STAY BEHIND!
He would train more.
He would practice more.
He would go swimming to tone his muscles more...

He would go to the gym to increase his stamina.
HE STAYED BEHIND.
He got rewarded for it: none of his club colleagues ever won a Ballon d’Or: he won 5.
He will be 36 on the 5th of February, 2021.
He is fitter than the average 21 year old man...

There is a price for staying behind. There is a price for doing more!

SCENE ONE: Numbers 33: 8-11. JOSHUA
Moses had set up the Tabernacle outside the camp.
He would go in there to meet with God as all the Israelites watched in awe.
Moses would go in with his assistant, Joshua...

He would hold discussions with God, they would talk “as a man speaks with his friend” (verse 11).
When they were done talking, Moses would leave the Tabernacle.
BUT JOSHUA WOULD STAY BEHIND!
The young man would remain in there, like Ronaldo.
He wanted to know God for himself...

He didn’t want to be quoting his pastor, like many Christians do today.
He didn’t want to be telling people, “Pastor Moses said…”
He wanted to have a personal encounter with God.
He wanted to KNOW God without an intermediary.
His hunger for God was rewarded:

God asked Moses to hand over the leadership of the people to him when his tenure came to an end.
Joshua became the one who led the Israelites into the Promised Land...

SCENE TWO: 1st Samuel 3: 1-4. SAMUEL
Samuel was a servant of Eli, just as Joshua was to Moses.
He was an “Altar Boy”- his job was to do the menial jobs in the Tabernacle: light the candles, sweep the place, clean the tables & all the stuff therein...

His master, Eli the High Priest would come in & perform his religious duty.
Eli would leave the Tabernacle when he was done.
BUT SAMUEL WOULD STAY BEHIND!
Samuel would sleep in the Tabernacle!
On one of those days he stayed behind to sleep in the Tabernacle, God spoke to him...

He had an encounter with God.
His life took a different trajectory after that encounter.
God ordained him a Prophet & the Spiritual Leader of the nation Israel.
He became God’s spokesman to the people, he became the go-to guy for anyone who needed direction in life...

He anointed Saul & David as King over Israel.
He stayed behind.
He got promoted from Altar Boy to Prophet...

SCENE Three: John 20: 1-16. MARY MAGDALENE
Mary Magdalene went to the Tomb early in the morning before dawn on the 3rd day of the crucifixion & death of Jesus.
She noticed the stone had been rolled away. She ran to inform the “Big Boys”, Peter & John...

They ran to the Tomb to confirm the info. Mary hurried after them.
They got there before her, they went in, saw the napkin & linen used to wrap the body of Jesus. They looked at each other: “He must be risen indeed!” Peter submitted...

“Yeah, He said He would, now He has!” John agreed.
In that moment, Mary Magdalene got there too. “Mary, you’re right! The Lord is risen!” Peter said.
John nodded.
They took their leave. What else is there to do, anyway?
BUT MARY STAYED BEHIND!

She stood there, weeping.
As she wept, she looked inside the Tomb & saw 2 angels! The “Big Boys” had gone.
They didn’t wait long enough to see the angels.
But Mary Magdalene did.
She talked with them.
And she turned: And there was Jesus!
The risen Jesus!

But she didn’t recognize Him:
He had resurrected in a celestial body.
But when He called her name, “Mary…” she recognized Him!

She stayed behind: she became the first person to see the risen Jesus.

Sometimes, the reason you have not gotten what you want, the reason why you are not where you aspire to be is simply because you leave too early

Stay behind a while longer: you just may meet with destiny…

Shalom
Haruna Daniels.
😇