Having Victory in Defeat...

May 6, 2009

Danielle Joyner Kelley

“Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21.

Yesterday I saw the reality of being a Christian. My husband, a high school baseball coach for Rickards High School in Tallahassee, Florida celebrated last week with his team after they won the District Championship.

For over six months now we have been attending church, and being obedient in walking in the Lord. I knew that he had grown closer to God than he has any other time in his life.

As a new Christian, we usually expect everything to be wonderful and great. God is in control, and He is proud we are coming to Him so He will make everything perfect right? Wrong, at least not the perfect we think.

As a Parent who loves His children, God does not always give us our way. I had learned this lesson years ago, and was concerned with my husband learning it as well. I remember going through the “Why me?” period with God. I remember if things didn’t go the way I wanted after I prayed I would ask Him why He didn’t love me. Truth is I didn’t get my way because He does love me, and He knows what is best. But that lesson took years for me to learn. So much for my worries about my husband though. He learned it in one night: last night.

Last night his team played in the quarterfinals against Gulf Breeze. For weeks, I have watched him pray, ask me for guidance, and build his faith. We have talked about not having conditional faith, and hanging in there win or lose.

I often think about how hard it must be for God to know everything. I told my husband that He can see everything; both his team and the one he is playing against. Although my husband has such a great team full of so many great and wonderful kids, who are we to say who should win or lose? Yes, they deserve to win, but God also sees the other side. We don’t know what the other team is going through. How do we know the pitcher didn’t just lose his mother to breast cancer? How do we know what the other coach is going through? We don’t know anything.

Still yesterday in the seventh inning I watched my husband’s star senior on deck getting ready to bat with runners on base. My husband is going to miss him next season, and he has been so great for the team. Then the batter ahead of him struck out and the senior never got to hit. I was thinking, “God it can’t end this way”, and I was worried about my husband thinking he has been faithful and obedient only to lose.

That is what I get for thinking. It is not one score that determines a winner in God’s eyes. It is the entire game.

Earlier in the game one of the star players was involved in a collision going for the ball and laid on the ground motionless for what seemed like forever. I looked over and saw kids praying beside him.

When the batter struck out at the end of the seventh inning and the game was lost, I watched the star senior who did not get to hit comforting him. He could have yelled and been angry, but he didn’t. He comforted his teammate who needed him.

I saw my husband’s high school friends, who played baseball with him at Rickards, all seated and watching the game cheering on their friend.

Then I saw my husband crying and thanking Jesus even though they lost. He was thanking Him for the opportunities he has had with these kids and for their victories.

Then it hit me. We won. No matter what a scoreboard says, the goal is to be more like our Heavenly Father who is full of love, grace, mercy, compassion, and faithfulness.

He never leaves our side. He comforts us in the bad times. He sits beside us while we are down. He is thankful for us and for our victories. He never gives up.

Last night I watched a team become more like their Heavenly Father. They were there for each other through comfort and prayer. And they never gave up.

Those are lessons that last way beyond one season….