Go Cubs!

For those of you who haven’t figured it out by my subject line, I’m a Cubs fan. I start rooting for the “lovable losers” when I lived in Illinois during the early 80’s. There are times that it is hard to be a Cub’s fan. Seasons start with promise, only to end in disappointment—but there always is next year! Maybe (after 100 years of disappointment) this will be the year they finally win a World Series again. Since they last won a championship, there have been two World Wars; manned flight went from Kitty Hawk to visiting the moon, and so much more. Even Wrigley field (where the Cubs play their home games) wasn’t built when they last won a championship. While the world has changed around them, the Cubs fans remained resolute in rooting for their team. 100 years of frustration will be wiped out should they be able to win this year.

This season, Cubs fans are coming out of the woodwork: people who only love a winner. Those of us who continue to root for our team in the losing seasons have more joy than those who only love a winner (trust me, it’s true.)

How about us? Do we remain faithful to God in the midst of adversity? When a loved one dies or we are diagnosed with cancer, do we remain true? When we lose our job or face financial difficulties, do we continue to trust God? We are told in Scripture that we should consider it pure joy whenever we face trials of many kinds, because this testing of our faith develops perseverance and that perseverance must complete its work so that we can become mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:2-4 paraphrased). So, let us not turn from God in the tough times, but instead let us turn TO God through the times of testing so that we can be all that God wants us to be.

Go Cubs! And Go God!