DESERVING?
I wasn't really a basketball fan until I moved to Indianapolis 7 years ago. You can't really get around basketball here! :-)
The Indiana Pacers kind of grew on me and like almost everybody else in the State I was thrilled when they beat the Knicks this year to move on the NBA championship. It was heartbreaking to see them lose to the Lakers, but I was still proud to be a Pacer fan.
When the mayor of Indianapolis announced his plans to have a Pacer appreciation day, I was thrilled and started making plans to attend. But those plans were shot down when Pacer management said they will not be activly participating in any parade or rally for the team! :-( In tv sports interviews with players, they all said about the same thing, "We didn't win. We didn't accomplish what we set out to do. We don't deserve a parade." My heart just broke. Even if they didn't win, they accomplished so much and I (and many, many local fans) were so proud of the team. I know any Pacer appreciation event would have been well attended by fans.
And once again my little mind went to work and saw how we can be that way with God sometimes.
We all have our battles to face. Whether it be cussing, smoking, lack of prayer, so many things! And sometimes, we win a few games, but then sometimes we lose. God is looking at the over all picture and says "Know what. She only smoked 3 cigarettes today. She deserves a blessing."
But we look at God and say "No I don't. I smoked 3 cigarettes today. I shouldn't have smoked at all. I failed. I didn't do what I set out to do".
We are looking at our failures instead of the small victories in our lives. We see the goal we haven't reached instead of how far we have come.
And God's heart is broken, He wants to bless you for your accomplishment. He knows what it has taken you to reach this far, and He is so very, very proud of you.
