Disappointed, yet again.
Tonight, my lifelong football team will retain its perfect record. The Detroit Lions will be one of only 8 teams in the NFL to have never lost a Super Bowl! Never mind that the reason is that they have never once been in a Super Bowl.
Yes, once again, they did what they have always done. They let us down. When I found out that they were in a playoff game I said, “Well, that’s great! But they’ll blow it.” And then they didn’t! They beat the Buccaneers! So, for the first time those of us from Michigan began to lift our heads in hope, just a little. If they could just win one more game, they would be in it, the Super Bowl!
I heard on the radio that they were not favored to win, however, and I tried to keep in mind that it wasn’t likely to happen. But then I got a text from my daughter that at half-time against the 49ers the Lions were WINNING!
In the second half, however, it all went downhill. The Lions choked and ended up losing by 3 points. Hopes were dashed and Michiganders went back to sulking around looking at their shoes. My son-in-law said to my daughter “Am I the only sane person in this state who didn’t get their hopes up? Why would anyone think that they wouldn’t let us down? They always do.”
Disappointment is just something that we, as humans, get used to. It just happens so often, from everyone. No matter who it is and how wonderful they are, eventually everyone will let you down. With some, it’s a shocker when they don’t let you down. We are fallen people, and we fail. Some people are failed so often by so many that they simply live life expecting every situation to end in disappointment. They learn to never look up and never have hope. This is perhaps the saddest thing in the world. And it doesn’t have to be that way.
Romans 5:1-10. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous person; though perhaps for the good person someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Thankfully, Jesus isn’t at all like the Lions and the hope we have in him will not disappoint us.