What Can We Take Away From This

Saturday was the last day of our football season.  It ended several weeks too early.  Mark, his staff and players had been working for years (in-season and off-season) to prepare for a long post-season.  The past few months flew by, and it all came to a screeching halt on Saturday. 

People around here are getting spoiled.  Four straight conference championships. Twenty-seven straight conference victories.   Eight straight playoff appearances.  It wasn't supposed to end this way.  Not with 10 penalties.  Not with a 10-point lead with 6 minutes left in the game that dissolved with an interception, a fumble, and a false start.  Not this way. 

God never promised us an easy time here, and sometimes things don't go our way. Sometimes things are just downright unfair. They don't make sense, and why does the other person (or team) not have to deal with negative consequences? Why me? Why us??

 What can we take away from this?  What can we learn?  It is a frustrating, painful ending.  But is it the end?

How can a person keep putting themself into these situations?  Isn't it too stressful being a coach or a player?  Why bother putting in all that work, if bad things can happen?  what's the point?

The point is:  We set goals.  We work hard.  We push our bodies and minds and spirits past the places where we thought they could ever go.  We win some, we lose some.  We are not put on this earth to judge others or worry about what other people get to do or don't get to do.  We ARE, however, put on this earth to give glory to God and to bring others to Him through our words, thoughts, and actions.

The lessons learned by being a part of this team will go beyond this season.  Hard work, accountability, respect, pride, strength, courage, commitment, passion.  These can never be taken from us.

We never take the wins for granted.
And we should never take the losses for granted, either. 
Because they all add up to experiences that build us into better people. 

Thank you, 2011 Chieftains!  Congratulations on a successful season!

To my husband, thank you for shaping boys into men.  May they use what they have learned for His good.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. -- Romans 12: 17-21