Sunday, May 11, 2008

The Losing Team


This month Indiana will have it's share of winners. Winners in the local elections, winners in the national primary, winners in the Indy 500. We all love a winner. There is something cool about getting our pictures with them and signed autographs whether it is the next presidential candidate or American Idol finalist. There is something that lifts our spirits and makes us feel good.

The hard reality is that we don't see the losing behind the winning. I mean all the tried but near misses. The time that driver crashed into turn 3. The times the recording company didn't sign the artist. The week when your favorite American Idol gets voted off. For every great winning story there are small defeats along the way that teach us, that make us stronger, that make our story stronger.

As I was working a Compassion event with a larger crowd than normal, we got 5 sponsorships. Three of us spent 6 hours for very little return. My husband decided to chat with those people in the mile long autograph line for the music artists' venue we were working at. Those in line just couldn't relate to those pictures of starving children.

They wanted to be with the winning team - the famous band.

We were the losers, on the losing team.

Poverty - a child dies every 5 seconds

World food bank shortages

Growing gap between the richest and poorest in the world

Even Jesus said "the poor will always be with you"- translation- "a lost cause"

But who did Christ come into the world for? - those lost- those that society said were the losers- for me and for you. He came into the world to lose - to lose his life so I wouldn't be left behind.

But the story doesn't end there. The longest hardest defeats become in his story the greatest victories. Not the easy wins.

Today - don't give up in the kingdom justice fight. The one thing I find in common with other fighters in mercy and justice is their " I want to quit" stories. It is hard to face into the wind and still sing. But today the losing team is where I want to be- I wouldn't be anywhere else.

Do not grow weary in doing good for at the proper time you will reap a harvest if you don't give up. Galatians 6


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