Leith Anderson shared a story about when he was a boy. He grew up outside of New York City and was an avid fan of the old Brooklyn Dodgers. One day, his father took him to a World Series game between the Dodgers and the Yankees. He was so excited, and he just knew the Dodgers would trounce the Yankees. Unfortunately, not a single Dodger ever got on base and his excitement was shattered.
Years later, he was engrossed in a conversation with a man who was a walking sports almanac. Leith told him about the first major league game he attended and added, "It was such a disappointment. I was a Dodger fan and the Dodgers never got on base."
The man said, "You were there? You were at the game when Don Larsen pitched the first perfect game in all of World Series history?"
Leith replied, "Yeah, but uh, we lost."
He then realized that he had been so caught up in his team's defeat that he missed out on the fact that he was a witness to a far greater page of history.
"You were there?"
I wonder how often the same thing happens to us. We get so caught up in the "defeats" in our lives -- the times when things don't turn out the way we want them to. So we're depressed because an illness continues to linger, or when people don't treat us the way we think they ought to, or when we face financial difficulties.
But, we are often so blinded by the pain and disappointment of our "defeat" that we fail to appreciate the fact that we might be witness to something far greater that God is doing in our lives.
Remember when Paul was in prison? He wrote to the Christians in Philippi:
But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather
unto the furtherance of the gospel; (Philippians 1:12)
While most of us would have focused on the "defeat" (being in prison even though he was innocent), Paul was able to see what God was doing in his life. It's not an easy thing to do. It's never easy to view things from a heavenly perspective rather than an earthly one, but it is especially difficult in the midst of pain and defeat. But it is learning how to have a heavenly view that helps us to know joy no matter what happens in our lives.
.....(c) 2007 Alan Smith (alansmith.servant@gmail.com) by way of The Daily Encourager (dlangerfeld@HarrisburgBaptist.org) and "Christian Voices" (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.com)
My Comments: I know that I have been often overwhelmed by the situation as it is occurring that I don’t recognize God’s hand in the circumstances. As I look back on what has happened, I can see so many ways that God has put little touches into the situation that make such a difference and clearly have to come from Him. It shows me His love and concern for me, even in the face of my failures to walk closely with Him. To realize how much He loves me.
Years later, he was engrossed in a conversation with a man who was a walking sports almanac. Leith told him about the first major league game he attended and added, "It was such a disappointment. I was a Dodger fan and the Dodgers never got on base."
The man said, "You were there? You were at the game when Don Larsen pitched the first perfect game in all of World Series history?"
Leith replied, "Yeah, but uh, we lost."
He then realized that he had been so caught up in his team's defeat that he missed out on the fact that he was a witness to a far greater page of history.
"You were there?"
I wonder how often the same thing happens to us. We get so caught up in the "defeats" in our lives -- the times when things don't turn out the way we want them to. So we're depressed because an illness continues to linger, or when people don't treat us the way we think they ought to, or when we face financial difficulties.
But, we are often so blinded by the pain and disappointment of our "defeat" that we fail to appreciate the fact that we might be witness to something far greater that God is doing in our lives.
Remember when Paul was in prison? He wrote to the Christians in Philippi:
But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather
unto the furtherance of the gospel; (Philippians 1:12)
While most of us would have focused on the "defeat" (being in prison even though he was innocent), Paul was able to see what God was doing in his life. It's not an easy thing to do. It's never easy to view things from a heavenly perspective rather than an earthly one, but it is especially difficult in the midst of pain and defeat. But it is learning how to have a heavenly view that helps us to know joy no matter what happens in our lives.
.....(c) 2007 Alan Smith (alansmith.servant@gmail.com) by way of The Daily Encourager (dlangerfeld@HarrisburgBaptist.org) and "Christian Voices" (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.com)
My Comments: I know that I have been often overwhelmed by the situation as it is occurring that I don’t recognize God’s hand in the circumstances. As I look back on what has happened, I can see so many ways that God has put little touches into the situation that make such a difference and clearly have to come from Him. It shows me His love and concern for me, even in the face of my failures to walk closely with Him. To realize how much He loves me.
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