You are not Loser!

 Also Ran? 

Then the LORD said to Joshua,

 "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

(Joshua 8 vs.1) 

            Being an also-ran is a way of life. We rarely finish first. Russell Sanders uttered the famous quote, "Winning isn't everything. It is the only thing." It is not valid, and here are some: My friend Pat McNamara qualified in four different Olympics and did not win a medal; my brother Wayne swam for years and was a national top ten in four events but never had a national championship; Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski played years for the Red Sox and never received a world series ring, and the list goes on. None of the above is a loser, and all were proud of their accomplishments.           

In my instance, I have three triathlon trophies out of 21 races; a second, a third, and an only. There was always someone faster until the Summer of 2011 when no one else my age competed. Did I lose? Never. In each Triathlon that I did, I would well up with tears of joy from the sheer pride in my accomplishment in the last mile of the run. The pain experienced during the run would go away, the legs would seem fresh again, and the finishing sprint would feel and look great. Second, Third, or twentieth did not matter; I was winning inside.           

Clint Purvis, the team chaplain for Florida State University's football team under Bobby Bowden, put it like this after a tough loss to Miami, "There is a huge difference between getting beat in a game and being a loser." Clint reminded the team of the characteristics of being a winner: 

 

1.      A winner still remembers that God never forsakes His own.

2.      A winner must remember that it is always painful and costly to claim victory again.

3.      A winner will never forget the source of all his blessings.

(from Bobby Bowden's Called to Coach, Howard Books, 2010.] 

            We rarely are number one, but we are always winners since God is always with us. 

Thought for Today: Today, we will have battles we do not expect. Let us be winners with God's help, no matter which way the battle turns out. 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, today we thank you for being with us at all times in every place. We thank you because when you are along, we will be winners.

Amen