What is winning?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
Matthew 19: 30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
Jude 1:22 And some have compassion, making a difference:
Romans 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please ourselves.
I ponder, do I make a difference? Do you?
I have been looking at my trophies, I have very few.
Let me tell a story about one trophy some young boys gave to me.
Let’s ponder... WHAT IS WINNING? Who is winning? What are we winning? Why do we think we have to win?
As I pondered all of theses questions, I am not sure I understand winning in the light of eternity.
Many years ago, I drove a group of young people to a religious state wide basketball tournament. The team I drove was not from my church, we were to small to take part.
I drove a neighboring church’s young men, as their pastor was not available. The team I drove was a very good team.
We watched the tourney develop and saw several weak teams eliminated. One of the super church’s team was having difficulty against another team. The Pastor was coach and player.
The hired referees (from high school level) call the game. Some calls, I will admit, were questionable. The Pastor had a technical foul called on him, for in great anger the Pastor told the referee some mean things.
In great fear the referees returned to the game. There was another call, the Pastor reacted in great anger and caused a scene, another "T," technical foul, was called against the Pastor/Coach/Player.
The Pastor’s team was losing, time was running out, when the third technical foul was called on the Pastor and he was asked to leave the gym.
I cried. I ponder, what have we taught these young men from all over this state? Later the Pastor calmed down and quietly came and apologized to the referees. But few saw this, and the damage had already occurred. The Pastor lost a lot more than just a ball game?
Well, I drove home with a trophy. As the boys I had driven were receiving their trophies, one of them said the Pastor that drove us here deserves a trophy. They carried the trophy to me. I still have the little trophy in my empty trophy case, but the lesson I recall of the trophy was not winning, but being a poor sport.
Some say: "It does matter if you win or lose, until you lose!"
My heart knows winners can be losers, losers can be winners. Ponder this lesson of Shay. Writer unknown.
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the school’s students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question. "Everything God does is done with perfection. Yet, my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as the children do. Where is God’s plan reflected in my son?"
The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. "I believe," the father answered, "that when God brings a child like Shay into the world, an opportunity to realize the Divine Plan presents itself. And it comes in the way people treat that child."
Then, he told the following story: Shay and I walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, "Do you think they will let me play?"
Shay’s father knew that most boys would not want him on their team. But the father understood that if his son were allowed to play it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging. Shay’s father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play.
The boy looked around for guidance from his teammates. Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and said, "We are losing by six runs, and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him up to bat in the ninth inning.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. At the top of the ninth
inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the outfield. Although no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay’s team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base. Shay was scheduled to be the next at-bat.
Would the team actually let Shay bat at this juncture and give away their chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn’t even know how to stand or hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher moved a few steps closer to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least be able to make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly toward Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could easily have thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have ended the game.
Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it on a high arc to right field, far beyond reach of the first baseman. Everyone started yelling, "Shay, run to first. Run to first."
Never in his life had Shay ever made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, Run to second, run to second!" By the time Shay was rounding first base, the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman for a tag. But the right fielder understood what the pitcher’s intentions had been, so he threw the ball high and far over the third baseman’s head. Shay ran towards second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases towards home.
As Shay reached second base, the opposing shortstop ran to him, turned him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third!" As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams were screaming, "Shay! Run home!"
Shay ran home, stepped on home plate and was cheered as the hero, for hitting a "grand slam" and winning the game for the team.
That day," said the father softly, with tears now rolling down his face, "the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of the Divine Plan into this world."
These two teams and a father learned a real reason about winning. Have I ever won and really lost? Have I ever lost and really won?
I believe LOVE and COMPASSION MAKE a difference. You can make a difference. We all have opportunities EVERY day to help realize God’s plan is not just who is the best. We think it is OK to cheat to win? What about unsportsmanship conduct?
We forget little things matter. Daily mmenial actions and words, many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice: Am I so concerned about trophies and points on the score board that I leave the world a bitterly cold after I pass through? It is up to you.
The lesson of my little trophy will be gone at my passing, but my writing can serve to remind you, you can be a winner by showing you care.
We have many Christian speakers and programs that say God wants you to WIN. You are a winner! I don’t know what God will do when two Christian teams are playing each other, make them both winners?
Lossing builds character and purpose, anyone can play on a winning team.
If we are not going to win, then I will quit? Where is the fun of the game?
Romans 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please ourselves.
One can put their best effort forward and still lose. we look at success and victory all wrong. Sometimes life has a way of bring our best effort to no effect. We can fall into a chronic sense of pain and dissatisfaction and insercuity because we are not winners.
Look at Jesus hanging on the cross, it appeared he had lost. Dried blood and spit, mockery and curses, yet Sunday was coming. For what appears as defeat is not always defeat.
If everyone that served Jesus always won, had big houses, and new cars, then no one would serve Jesus because they loved Him, they would serve for the motivation of things. I believe there are some little pastors that have given their life and gone without many things, and have done the WILL of GOD!
Matthew 19: 30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
Will you search your heart? Will you invest compassion in others.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com Would you pass this on?
