Some takeaways from a painful bracket loss <3

Like a lot of families, friend groups and office pools; our family is rounded up by our Fantasy Football commish ( John) to fill out brackets for the NCAA March Madness every year.

I don’t want to brag, but I was in first place for quite some time. 

And the reason I don’t want to brag is because I have now plummeted to ninth place. Pride, does indeed, go before the fall. 

One of my upsets was the upset that will be talked about for a loooonnnnggg time regarding Fairleigh Dickinson University, ranked at 16, beating #1 seed Purdue while working up very little sweat in the process. 

It was another David and Goliath moment as our dear Andy referenced so beautifully last week. Here — https://www.laurareimer.net/a-very-special-guest-post-in-honor-of-the-madness-that-is-march/

However, I had Purdue moving on so with great humility I confess I was cheering for Goliath. Actually…I was more like frustrated with and yelling at Goliath to get in the game. 

After the debacle, I mean the victory for FDU, we listened to the men who sit at that desk and ramble on about what just happened.

As they were sharing various thoughts, I want to say it was the great theologian,  Charles Barkley, but it may have been one of the other ones, made an observation that carried a deeper wisdom beyond college kids playing basketball. 

Whichever commentator it was, the gist of the message was that Purdue has one basic strategy and it works for most of the teams they play.

However, if they play a team that knows how to interfere with the right players, they have no backup plan.

I believe the speaker said (and I am 98% sure it was Mr. Barkley but my guesses have not been very accurate lately so don’t quote me on that), you have to have a Plan B and a Plan C and maybe more when you come to the championship tournaments. He said that it doesn’t hurt during the season if you lose one game, but in March Madness, every game matters and you have to be ready for whatever you are facing.  

Words of wisdom to apply to so many areas. 

Whether we are fighting a spiritual battle or a physical battle, we need more in our toolbox than what has always worked for us. 

I am thinking of my readings about King David recently and how every time he was thinking of going into battle, he consulted with God. 

Should we go? 

How should we go? 

When should we go?

A couple of times he didn’t check and the results were disastrous.

He didn’t check with God about hanging back in the Spring when Kings go to war and he fell hard with Bathsheba

He didn’t check when he got the idea to count his troops and everyone paid a big price. 

Every day we enter into a new beginning to what is the rest of our life, as the cliche goes. 

We must check to see what plan we are on and we must remember that the plan may change and we need to be ready, flexible and obedient to hear God’s voice saying which way we should go.

Sometimes the plan is to just stand, or rest, or move quickly or do something hard or new or different. 

But His voice and direction will always be consistent with His word. 

Blessings on you this Monday, whichever plan you are on today.

He is with you and you are dearly loved <3