Living like a Champion

OK, so thank goodness the NCAA basketball season is over. I have stayed up late for my last time. But, it was worth it to see the Lady Vols win their 7th National title last night. A couple of interesting side notes. First, Coach Pat Summit (the undisputed dean of women's basketball) said that this title was won in the off season with commitment in the weight room and practice. Second, this team did not always look like champions. Yet, they did not stop believing that they could come together and finish the job. I could not help but reflect on some earlier "failures" this year. I saw them at their worst. I was at the Duke game when the lady vols looked miserable. They fell behind by twenty points early in the game. That's right, the national champions did not score a point until Duke had jumped out to an embarrassing lead early in the game. And this was a home game for the Lady Vols. The similarities to our faith journey are striking. Sometimes (most times) our ability to win spiritual battles is gained in the "off season". Behind the scenes investments in the weight room of Bible study and prayer will pay off. Our commitment to believe that we will be victorious in the long run will sustain us (even when we feel like we are behind by twenty points). To quote the title of one of my favorite books, it really is "A long obedience in the same direction" that makes us disciples. I do plan on cutting down the net at the end of my journey.