Ten Seconds

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Ten seconds.



Depending on the scenario ten ticks on a second hand can seem like an eternity or a gasp.

Olympic races have been won in a fraction of one second.

Many of us have watched the clock anxious for the last ten seconds to finally pass at the end of a work shift.






We either wait...for what seems like an eternity for ten seconds to pass or we blink and realize it vaporized.

In either case, most of us think nothing of great value can be done in a mere ten seconds.

I would have been the first to agree with you...until two rival football teams played last weekend.

I love football. I'm even okay with rooting for the best play instead of a given team.  

This particular game (University of Michigan vs Michigan State University) was the unforgettable game.

Inundated with unusual referee calls, conservative enforcement of a new rule, sideline refs calling touchdowns that were overturned several times...over 1/2 inch. Yah.

Still, all in all the score was very tight and the game exciting. One team barely ahead of the other. The leader had the ball and ten seconds left on the clock. There was no way the team behind could get the ball AND make a touch down before the game ended.

EVERYONE KNEW IT

Both sides.

THEN

The play was called, the ball was snapped. The special team punt kicker held the ball...almost. It tumbled from his hands to the ground. Not a problem. He rushed to pick it up and positioned himself to kick the ball far down the field. 

EXCEPT

The team behind broke through the line at the very moment the kicker set the ball to kick. The kicker inadvertently tossed the ball to the behind team in the process. The behind team secured the ball in their grasp and, in the remaining seconds, ran the ball for a touchdown. The behind team won the game.

The fans on both sides were stunned. The once leading fans stared in disbelief. The once behind team cheered their player to the end zone.

The unbelievable happened.

In ten seconds.

I can't heat a cup of tea in ten seconds.
I can't fill my gas tank in ten seconds.
I can't make my family's dinner, do the laundry, wash the dishes, vacuum the floor, or write a blog in ten seconds.

BUT, I can plant a God Loves You seed in the heart of a person in ten seconds. I can give a hug. Listen. Wipe a tear. Say a prayer...

In ten seconds.

Your turn. 

You have been given ten extra seconds. What will you do?

This post has been brought to you by the one word: Tenseconds