Editor's Note What am I sharing? By Darcy L. Fargo

October 2, 2024

They call him “the Red Rifle.”

Andy Dalton is a football player, a quarterback in the NFL, who has bright red hair. After leading the team that drafted him – his first pro team – to the playoffs for five consecutive years, the team had a handful of bad years, and they cut Dalton.

Since then, he’s been what’s referred to as “a journeyman” in pro football – a competent player who can give a team a chance to win but who isn’t a star. Oftentimes, journeymen are backup players, and they’re sometimes expected to mentor younger quarterbacks.

Recently called off the bench to replace a struggling young player, Dalton went into his first NFL start of the season playing for a team that hadn’t won a game, the Carolina Panthers. No one expected much.

Through most of the team’s first couple games, games they lost in ugly fashion, the players looked defeated. Heads were down. Morale appeared to be low.

Then, in that third game, the Red Rifle, a QB many had written off, went out and played an outstanding game.
I didn’t watch the game, but in video highlights and still photos I’ve seen, one thing was clear: The Red Rifle was having fun.

Dalton had a huge smile on his face. He was celebrating. He had a bounce in his run between plays.

And it was contagious. This team that looked so demoralized the two prior weeks looked like a completely different team. The rest of the team was having fun, too.

It’s amazing how one person can change attitudes. I’ve worked on projects with people who exude joy, fun and energy. It’s contagious. It’s almost hard not to catch the joy, the fun and the energy when around them.

As I smiled watching videos of Andy Dalton flashing a huge smile, it occurred to me: I’m not always the most joyful Catholic.

We have this beautiful joy, the love of Christ, and we’re called to reflect that to others. I know no one can be joyful all the time, but I’m kind of a grump lately. Walking around grumpy isn’t reflecting the joy of Christ, and it’s proof of the fact that I’m not looking to see Christ’s love and joy in my life enough. It’s always there if I look for it. Who can be a grump seeing that?

And when we have that joy and share it, it could be contagious.

I’m glad the Red Rifle reminded me.