Preseason football has started, so you know this football fanatic is ecstatic! While watching tonight, it reminded me of something I posted last season pertaining to expectations. I re-read it and thought it would be worthy of re-posting. (And let's hope my fantasy team fares better than last year!)
FROM 12/27/13
As you can see by my wonderful graphic, Gridirongranny's season ended badly. I didn't even make the play-offs. My team entered the season poised for the championship but certain events altered the expected results. This year, instead of kudos and cash, I was awarded a humbling reminder.
Let's start at the beginning...
Every season I go through the excruciating process of selecting players that will carry me to victory. Once my team is set, each week I sit in front of the television, with my laptop tuned in to the NFL page. While watching one game, I monitor all the other games to see how each of my players is doing. It sounds obsessive, and maybe it is...but it's "normal" for me, being an enthusiastic competitor.
This year, the first few weeks were wonderful. My opponents, one by one, were mercilessly defeated. Then it happened ... some of my players got hurt and others didn't achieve their projected points and I started losing. I was furious. I berated the players, using every name in the book. They let me down. What did I do? I didn't wait for them to heal, or give them another opportunity to perform at their potential... I immediately dropped them and picked up replacements. Well, those adjustments proved to be disastrous. Had I kept my original team I would have at least made the play-offs.
This year, the first few weeks were wonderful. My opponents, one by one, were mercilessly defeated. Then it happened ... some of my players got hurt and others didn't achieve their projected points and I started losing. I was furious. I berated the players, using every name in the book. They let me down. What did I do? I didn't wait for them to heal, or give them another opportunity to perform at their potential... I immediately dropped them and picked up replacements. Well, those adjustments proved to be disastrous. Had I kept my original team I would have at least made the play-offs.
This happens in “real life” as well. Family and/or friends do not live up to our expectations and we react with anger and ostracize them. Is it right? No, but we do it anyway. We are blinded by anger and don't even consider there might be justifiable reasons surrounding the perceived transgression or that our expectations might just be a tad bit unrealistic. Whatever the circumstances, we are not only hurting them, we are hurting ourselves.
Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
Harboring anger instead of forgiving creates a detachment from God and His will. Whatever the transgression, there is nothing that cannot be forgiven. Jesus demonstrated that on the cross.
Dear Jesus, may we always hold our hearts open to forgiveness. Amen!
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