When my family and I relocated to Georgia last summer, we decided to order DirecTV for the first time. My husband was interested in the opportunity to watch more major league soccer. He and our 10-year-old son love the sport.
I, too, was looking forward to the chance to watch more of my favorite basketball team. I grew up in Arizona and attended the University of Arizona. I loved rooting for the Cats, and had attended most of the games. Unfortunately, they waited until the year after I graduated to win their first national championship. They played Kentucky that year. It was the Wildcats vs. the Wildcats. It was a thrilling, on-the-edge-of-your-seat, game.
Since moving to the east coast, I haven't been able to catch many of the games, until this year. Not only can I watch the games, but, I can also record the games and watch them later. This has become a great tool, since all the games are being played on the west coast and, sometimes, tip-off isn't until 10:00pm on the east coast.
My team has been doing well this year. Yet, the one thing I've never really liked is the emotional roller coaster ride that comes with rooting for a team. It's easy to get spun up and anxious when your team falls behind or when the score remains nerve-rattlingly close. Arizona seems to have a special knack for playing games that come down to the buzzer, or are forced into overtime.
On a few occasions this season, I've recorded the late night games, and then peeked at the final score the next morning, before sitting down to watch the highlights. Now, I know what some of you die-hard sports fans might be tempted to shout, "Hey! You can't peek at the final score! Technical foul!" I know. Checking out the final score before watching the game is unsportsmanlike conduct.There's got to be some sort of rule out there stating that true fans don't do this. It's similar to flipping and reading the last page of a book. Sinful.
Yet, the one thing this occasional choice has taught me is that, even though I know pain and disappointment are faith growing and character building, my human nature is to avoid both, when I can.
Confidence in the Final Score
As Christ-followers, knowing the final score, as we journey up and down life's court, can bring incredible peace. When the road gets rough, we keep clinging to what we know to be true.
No doubt, there will be seasons when we feel we've fallen behind. The score feels lopsided. There will be days we question how our current circumstances could possibly lead us anywhere good. And, there will be times when the shots we take don't even come close to making it into the basket.
Yet, it's those times, when we have no idea how the next move will play out, that we can take comfort in knowing the final score, and knowing it all ends well.
Today, if you find yourself overwhelmed by uncertainties, take a timeout. Sit down with the Coach, review the plan in the play Book, and embrace the Good News again. Then, get back in the game, take your position, and play with confidence.
Psalm 27: 13-14
Eileen lives in Georgia with her husband and 10 year old son. She is passionate about leaving a legacy for her son. She loves writing about how cool it is to journey through life with Jesus holding her hand, and encouraging others along the way who might need a dose of hope poured into their weary lives. You can find her taking The Scenic Route on her blog or Twitter.
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If God has created humanity with bodies that are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” we need to develop a Christian way of living that incorporates play and recreation, leisure and competition, sports and athletics. Faith in the Creator and Redeemer should lead us to identify the way sports and athletics are meant to be, discern when something is wrong with sports in our broken and sinful culture, and imagine ways to be instruments of redemption in this sphere. In this series, "Sports for the Glory of God," we engage with stories of people who are working through these issues on a daily basis
