Postponed Hope
Good Morning Girls! Every year on my hubby's side of the family we all throw in $5 and choose our picks for the College Bowl games that run during the Holidays. There are about 35 games in all. It's a tradition that I have gone along with but never really cared much about. Until this year......
This year I hit the ground running with my picks! I was tied for first place for the first 18 games. I was suddenly passionate about college football. At the gym I would yell out at the tv's while the games were on. I had a couple "groupies" who once they learned I was 15-3 with my picks said they were calling into Vegas with my choices. Each day they saw me they would ask "who you got today?".
Yes. I was suddenly a big fan of college ball. "What a sport! What a game! What excitement!"
Then came January 2nd. Six bowl games in one day. I was still in 2nd place but today was my day to solidify 1st place. "Mama is taking home the money this year!!!!!"
Five out of six of my teams lost. I went from a 1st place contender to a not a chance loser.
The next day Tom asked if I wanted to watch the game he recorded. My response: "I denounce college football. It is dead to me".
I had no desire to watch anymore now that there was no chance I was going to win the money. Tom would call me in to watch an awesome play and I would watch and pretend like I gave a rip.....but I didn't.
I didn't care because I had nothing to gain anymore. Forget the fact that I HAD enjoyed the games just days before. Forget that I found the overtimes and crazy plays exciting. Forget that I had fun with Tom talking about teams and sitting and watching with him. Forget that I know he loved it because he doesn't have any of his friends or family here and he really likes to have someone to watch and talk with. Forget all that........I no longer care about college football........
What does this story have to do with anything? Why would I waste your time talking about college football when I am sure many of you feel like I do about it...."who cares?"
I learned a life lesson in this seemingly insignificant story. I learned a couple actually. The first one is:
When all hope of achieving the outcome you desire is lost, you will no longer be interested in your goals.
Think about it. If someone whom you trusted, or lets say a doctor told you "For some strange reason you will never lose weight even if you never eat sugar, white flour, chips, or candy again", would you bother eliminating these things from your diet? Or if your personal trainer said "Your body type will never respond to exercise. You will always look exactly the same, no matter how many weights you lift or miles you run." Would you bother sweating and wasting time being uncomfortable and in pain?
Or what if your marriage counselor said "The two of you will NEVER EVER work things out. You are wasting your time trying. You are done." Would you walk away?
Would you think "What's the point?" and quit?
I mean these "professionals" have pretty much told you that there is no hope for you. You will never change. You can do everything right but will never ever change. Put off your hope. Postpone it until a miracle comes. Defer it til something changes.
Many of us listen to the professional daily. He is a professional thief, liar, and has come to steal, kill and destroy whatever he can. The biggest thing he can steal from you is your hope. Once he has your hope he has taken away the only motivator that keeps you going when all circumstances point to failure.
Hope makes you cling to the seemingly impossible. Hope gets you up early and ready to face the day. Hope puts a spring in your step despite what is happening around you. Hope makes you look around expecting good things to happen any second! Hope speaks louder than the lies of the enemy.
But hope deferred....hope postponed......hope stolen.....well that leads to a broken heart.
Girls, don't let anyone (including yourself) steal your hope. Cling to it! It is a lifeline. It is yours and only yours. It will carry you through a triple overtime loss.
Lost hope in a college football pool is no big deal. Lost hope in life is. Don't go there. Don't get heart sick. Don't give your dreams away to the enemy. They are yours and if you stay the course they will be fulfilled!!!!!
Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is the tree of life!
Love, grace, and a triple overtime win to you all-
Jen
This year I hit the ground running with my picks! I was tied for first place for the first 18 games. I was suddenly passionate about college football. At the gym I would yell out at the tv's while the games were on. I had a couple "groupies" who once they learned I was 15-3 with my picks said they were calling into Vegas with my choices. Each day they saw me they would ask "who you got today?".
Yes. I was suddenly a big fan of college ball. "What a sport! What a game! What excitement!"
Then came January 2nd. Six bowl games in one day. I was still in 2nd place but today was my day to solidify 1st place. "Mama is taking home the money this year!!!!!"
Five out of six of my teams lost. I went from a 1st place contender to a not a chance loser.
The next day Tom asked if I wanted to watch the game he recorded. My response: "I denounce college football. It is dead to me".
I had no desire to watch anymore now that there was no chance I was going to win the money. Tom would call me in to watch an awesome play and I would watch and pretend like I gave a rip.....but I didn't.
I didn't care because I had nothing to gain anymore. Forget the fact that I HAD enjoyed the games just days before. Forget that I found the overtimes and crazy plays exciting. Forget that I had fun with Tom talking about teams and sitting and watching with him. Forget that I know he loved it because he doesn't have any of his friends or family here and he really likes to have someone to watch and talk with. Forget all that........I no longer care about college football........
What does this story have to do with anything? Why would I waste your time talking about college football when I am sure many of you feel like I do about it...."who cares?"
I learned a life lesson in this seemingly insignificant story. I learned a couple actually. The first one is:
When all hope of achieving the outcome you desire is lost, you will no longer be interested in your goals.
Think about it. If someone whom you trusted, or lets say a doctor told you "For some strange reason you will never lose weight even if you never eat sugar, white flour, chips, or candy again", would you bother eliminating these things from your diet? Or if your personal trainer said "Your body type will never respond to exercise. You will always look exactly the same, no matter how many weights you lift or miles you run." Would you bother sweating and wasting time being uncomfortable and in pain?
Or what if your marriage counselor said "The two of you will NEVER EVER work things out. You are wasting your time trying. You are done." Would you walk away?
Would you think "What's the point?" and quit?
I mean these "professionals" have pretty much told you that there is no hope for you. You will never change. You can do everything right but will never ever change. Put off your hope. Postpone it until a miracle comes. Defer it til something changes.
Many of us listen to the professional daily. He is a professional thief, liar, and has come to steal, kill and destroy whatever he can. The biggest thing he can steal from you is your hope. Once he has your hope he has taken away the only motivator that keeps you going when all circumstances point to failure.
Hope makes you cling to the seemingly impossible. Hope gets you up early and ready to face the day. Hope puts a spring in your step despite what is happening around you. Hope makes you look around expecting good things to happen any second! Hope speaks louder than the lies of the enemy.
But hope deferred....hope postponed......hope stolen.....well that leads to a broken heart.
Girls, don't let anyone (including yourself) steal your hope. Cling to it! It is a lifeline. It is yours and only yours. It will carry you through a triple overtime loss.
Lost hope in a college football pool is no big deal. Lost hope in life is. Don't go there. Don't get heart sick. Don't give your dreams away to the enemy. They are yours and if you stay the course they will be fulfilled!!!!!
Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is the tree of life!
Love, grace, and a triple overtime win to you all-
Jen
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