I am a HUGE NFL football fan. I am in love with my team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, even though, they have not been very good for the past several years. I am still loyal. I have season tickets. I watch every away game. I go to training camp and draft parties. I am the Official Fan Reporter for NFLFemale. As the Jaguars’ slogan for this year suggests, I am “ALL IN” when it comes to my team. The Jaguars finished with its worst record in franchise history this season. They won two games and lost fourteen. It was a long season.
Last year, the team that had that record was the Jaguars division rival, Indianapolis Colts. After coming off a 14-2 season, the Colts lost their franchise quarterback for the season, and ended up with the worst record of any NFL team in the 2011 season. Despite the fact that he had led the team to the playoffs the season before, the 2-14 record was enough to get the Colts head coach, Jim Caldwell, fired. So, the Colts started looking for a new head coach. One of the candidates they were pursuing was Chuck Pagano, the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. The only issue was that the Ravens were in the playoffs, so the Colts had to wait to interview Coach Pagano. The Ravens made it all the way to the AFC Championship, where they would face the New England Patriots. But, for the Colts, time was running out to find a head coach, as they needed to be sure they had the proper staffing in place. The AFC Championship game was intense. A dropped touchdown down and a missed field goal ended the Ravens season in defeat and they were crushed. However, it meant that the Colts could talk to Chuck Pagano and they ended up hiring him as their new head coach. This past weekend, the Colts faced the Ravens in the first round of the 2012 NFL playoffs. When asked how he felt about the previous year’s defeat in the AFC Championship, Coach Pagano talked about how tough that loss was to swallow, but he went on to say that had it not been for that loss, he would not have been able to become the head coach of the Colts. His words really spoke to me. Sometimes, we focus so hard on the losses that we do not realize that they can be worked out for our good. If you don’t follow football, there are many examples in the Bible of much more devastating losses than a football game. Think of Job losing all of his family, finances, and fitness. Think of Joseph being thrown in a pit, and then, going to prison. Even though they lost and they had major disappointments, in the end, they gained so much more because God was with them and they were faithful. Now, if you know the story of Coach Pagano, you may know that he was diagnosed with cancer this season. You may ask how someone could consider that a victory. Well, for Coach Pagano, it did turn out to be a victory. With his family, his team and his community’s support, he went through grueling treatments for his cancer and he beat it. He never gave up. He hung in there and he inspired many people along the way. Sometimes, we have to lose so we can win. I’m not going to sit here and write that it doesn’t hurt or that it doesn’t suck. But, when we consider that everything is in God’s control and He has the ability to work every loss into a win, it is hard to stay bitter or discouraged. This year, when Coach Pagano came back to coach his team in the playoffs, he had a completely different perspective when they lost. And, we have to learn how to use our losses, our obstacles, our setbacks as stepping stones. God uses the losses to get us to the wins if we will submit to His will and let Him work, the losses in life help us prepare for the battles we are meant to win. They make us stronger, smarter, and more serious, so that we can be victorious! Ms. EV
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For the past several weeks, I have not been interacting very much on my personal Facebook page. I have posted the blogs and devotions of the Elevated Values page and I would read a couple of things that looked inspirational, but I didn't go through my news feed and all of my lists to see what was up with various people in my world. I do this every once in a while for my own mental health and well-being As much as I love staying in touch with friends and family, I have to take a break from the social network universe, have actual interactions with people and have some “me” time. Well, I should say “me and God” time.
Last week, I began to look at my new feed again, and over the weekend, I saw some distressing messages about a terrible instance of heartbreak. I felt so awful for the person who was going through this gut-wrenching situation because I understand what it feels like. I am still in the process of waiting for God’s answer for what the right words are to say to this individual if there are any right words at all. Having been through this, I know that when your heart is broken, whether by someone or some circumstance, it doesn't make you feel better to hear bad things about the person and it doesn't help when family and friends say hurtful things to the person because when your heart has just been broken there is still a part of you that hopes it’s all a terrible nightmare or that the person had a lapse in judgment and can explain everything so your life can get back to normal. I personally am not moved in those moments of heartbreak by encouraging words or fighting words, especially when I feel like my dream has just died. And, even more so, if my identity at that point in my life was wrapped up in that dream. So, what could I possibly say to this person who is experiencing the excruciating pain of heartache? I am not sure what will help this person. When I think back on my most painful experiences, I can only say that God got me through it. Left to my own devices, I would still be in the corner of a dark room somewhere bawling my eyes out until I ran out of tears. I have grown enough to know that crying in tough times does not mean that you don’t love God anymore. Remember, Jesus wept. Nonetheless, like my pastor preached from Job 1 on Sunday, though I was down and I grieved, I also worshipped. I did not leave God out of my grieving process. I went to church when I did not feel like it. I sang and prayed when I wanted to just cry. I clapped and lifted my hands even when I felt defeated. I did not give up on God because I knew He had not given up on me. Each time, the heartache went away and I felt stronger and closer to the Lord. But, there wasn’t a magical formula. There is no specific time period. Sometimes it was days. For other instances, it was weeks. Still for some, it was months. Nevertheless, He brought me through it all. I lived to love again and to dream again. Every day is not sunshine and rainbows and if my heart is ever broken again, I know where broken hearts should go. Humbly place yourself in the arms of the Healer of broken hearts, the One, true God. Ms. EV As I was scrolling through Facebook statuses, I saw that one friend posted about pushing through adversity. Then, a few hours later, I noticed some posts from my oldest nephew about being disappointed and working harder, essentially pushing through rather than giving up. Though, I don’t know the situation my friend referred to and I do know the situation that my nephew referred to, both messages were inspiring. When, I combine that with the last few chapters of Acts that I have been reading and look at Paul’s perseverance through persecution, I am motivated to push through rather than lay down (even though laying down seems so much easier to do right now).
Many times in life we work very hard towards a goal and are then met with some sort of adversity. For example, I have been writing music for about eighteen years. This past summer, I decided, after a lot of pushing and prodding by others and prayers, to record some of my original music and make my first single available for sale online. I had gotten so much positive feedback about the message, the quality of my voice and the gifts that God with which God has blessed me, so I expected that “Worth Dying For” would touch hearts worldwide. I also expected that I would be able to raise the money to complete my debut CD. And, I had hoped that it would open doors for me to write music for other artists or have the opportunity to pay back my parents and record more music. Well, my Kickstarter project was not successful and I figured that it just was not the route that God had designed for me with my music. Then, when I got my first sales report two months after “Worth Dying For” was released internationally for sale through Amazon and iTunes, I discovered that ten copies of the song had been purchased (and I knew who had purchased four of the ten). No, that was not a typo…ten copies. I was crushed. Once again, I felt like I had listened to God’s prompting to go after my dream, yet the result felt like I had failed again. So, I decided to take a step back and just wait for God to show me what to do next. I am still in that waiting place and every day has not been pretty, but days like today, when communicates to me in so many ways and through so many people, I know that He is looking out for me and that He has my best interests in mind. Through my friend, God has assured me that I am not alone in facing adversity and that I need to keep pressing through it. Through my nephew, God has taught me to evaluate what I am doing and step up my game. I need to continue to work hard, but still have fun and just expect God’s best for me. Through Paul in Acts, God is teaching me that though I may face trials, though I may feel trapped or held captive, there is a purpose and a plan behind every trial. I am not giving up, but I am looking up…to the God with whom anything is possible. Ms. EV |
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