As we head into the Sweet 16, this Saturday, for the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, I'd like to take a few minutes and reflect back on last weekend’s tournament action.
We had a great game between Duke and UCF on Sunday. The game was back and forth. At the 3:52 mark of the second half, UCF was on an 11-2 run and UCF was up 70-68. The game was a battle of wills. Both teams were trading blows and fighting every step of the way. Tacko Fall, who was the big man on UCF's roster, was in foul trouble late in the second half, but his on-court presence was huge.
With 16 seconds left in the game and UCF
leading 76-73, Zion Williams drove to the paint and was fouled by Tacko Falls
for a potential 3-point play after he made the tough in the paint shot. As Zion
Williams' missed free throw bounced off the front rim, UCF was unable to regain
control. Duke picked up the rebound and made the two-point shot with 11 seconds
remaining to take the lead, 77-76. UCF's last drive to the paint fell short and
Duke went on to win 77-76 and proceed on to the Sweet 16. A heartbreaking loss
for one team and a valiantly fought win for the other team.
How many times in life have you swam in
adversity, fought back, regained control, loss momentum, regained momentum
again, and then looked up and you were on the short end of life's scoreboard? Have
you ever wondered, why? Or did you ask yourself, "is it really over? Can I
get a reset or one more chance?"
One of the most important aspects of getting
up daily is to always remember, no matter if the sun is shining or there's
torrential rain outside, you have to treat the day as if it’s perfectly suited
for you. Getting up after a heartache is YOUR reset. It's an opportunity
for you to bounce back and work on the next test.
When we're in a moment of adversity where
things don't work in our favor or quite the way we'd like to, "the brush
it off moment happens when we wake up." That's God's form of reset. We
actually woke up! Amen. We made God's roll call that morning and in that moment
we discover how to piece together what we need to prepare for the next victory.
I have had my fair share of let down's and
losses and "almost moments" in life. In all of them, I've
learned one major thing, I was reset when I woke up the next day. I've always
considered that to be God's way of telling me, that I have another chance at
reaching my full potential no matter what I did.
I leave you with these 2 things:
- If pain keeps you from uttering a lot of words, just say, "Thank You God for now. All I can say is thank you. Amen"
- Remember and never forget Jeremiah 29:11-13. God always has a plan for our best. This let down is just part of a greater plan for our success.
Jeremiah 29:11-13
11 For I know the thoughts that I think
toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give
you an expected end. 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye
shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for
me with all your heart.