20 May, 2008
Connecticut boy takes off Favre jersey for good after four years
GREEN BAY, Wis. - Finally, David Witthoft shunned his Brett Favre jersey for the first time in 1,581 days.
The Ridgefield, Conn. boy, 12, wore the No. 4 jersey every day since receiving it as a gift for Christmas in 2003. David's father, Chuck Witthoft, said Monday that his son's last day wearing the jersey was April 23 - his 12th birthday.
Witthoft conceded his son was starting to become more concerned about his appearance after the jersey barely came down to his belt line.
Witthoft first gained national attention three years ago, and attended his first Packers game in December. He's also planning to attend the Sept. 8 game when the Packers retire Favre's No. 4.
His mother, Carolyn, had washed the jersey every other day and mended it when needed.
Need new clothes?
Would you wear the same thing for 1,581 days?
Colossians 3:10-14 (MSG)
You're done with that old life. It's like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you've stripped off and put in the fire. Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.
12-14So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
What does today's God's Story scripture teach us about what to wear every day?
Our loving God, the master designer, has a clothing line for His children to wear. The look is not seasonal or trendy, just holy.
According to Paul, it means that our actions should match our faith. If we claim to follow Christ, our "look" should be like Jesus. This means that we won't always be in style with this world. Christ-like clothing will not match the world's "look", but Jesus calls us to make a fashion statement that has His "look".
The 12-year-old kid who wore the Farve jersey for 1,581 days, obviously loves Brett Favre. But he became concerned about his appearance after after he realized he had outgrown this raggy old shirt.
Same for us...a sign of our spiritual growth is when we are willing to get rid of those old self-serving clothes and let Jesus dress us every day with His wardrobe. Our motivation? Our love for Christ!
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our story?
- Thank God for the new nature He has given you through your faith in Jesus Christ. Ask God's Spirit to daily help you clothe yourself with Christ's holy wardrobe.
- Memorize Colossians 3:10 as a reminder of what to wear every day.
- In today's passage, Paul mentions 8 items of Christ-like clothing. Pick out the one you have trouble "fitting into" right now and make it a daily prayer focus until you look Godly in it.
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture and our story to others?
- This next week, every time you stand in front of your closet trying to decide what to wear, briefly pray for Christ-like character. Jesus will use these moments to make you very aware of His presence when you are learning the stories of people around you.
- Since the topic of clothes comes up in conversation almost every day, trust Jesus to show you when to use this as an opportunity to talk about the new wardrobe God has given you - it's part of God's Story and your story.
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