I plan the AGOG weeks about a month out. I must admit a month ago I hoped that this would be a week dedicated to talking about my favorite team, the Philadelphia Phillies, in the World Series. As many of you know this is not the case. The Phillies were eliminated weeks ago. If you do not follow baseball, this might mean nothing to you. If you do know something about baseball, you probably know that the Phillies had the best record in baseball and were the favorites of many to win it all. But, if you are a Phillies fan, you might have known better than the experts.
As a lifelong Phillies fan, I have grown accustomed to disappointment. For most of my life, the Phils simply stunk. This has not been the case in recent history. Yet, almost all of the time, they fall short. This year was no exception.
Those closest to me were very concerned the days following the Phillies elimination. In past years this has not been pretty. There has been some whining and moping in my house. One friend asked before the last game, “If this doesn’t go your way, how bad is it going to be?” Another texted the morning after the loss, “How long of a mourning period?” So, you get the picture. But this year I refused to allow it. I knew I had to answer to you and I knew there had to be some moral lesson in it for Ask Ellen herself and for you, my gentle reader. But what was it? Obviously, we could discuss the fact that often when we are picked to win it, we fall short. Just look at Moses. He was certainly on top of his game. He led the whining Israelites faithfully for years. He lost his temper, struck the rock and boom…he was out. I see the similarities with the Phillies. They kept winning and winning until they couldn’t. In fact, they couldn’t even score one run to save themselves in the end. That happens. We all have bad days and blow a sure thing.
But I think the bigger lesson for me and maybe for you if you are a Phillies fan or have been through seasons of disappointment of any kind, is what to do with it. Let’s look at those same Israelites that Moses led. They suffered some disappointments. Wandering around in circles for forty years and not reaching the Promised Land sounds like it to me. What was their attitude? They grumbled, complained and whined. They looked down their noses on the things God gave them like manna and quail and shoes that never wore out. In short, their attitudes were in desperate need of adjustment.
Now I am not comparing the Phillies plot to the Israelites. Well, maybe I am. I do so tongue in cheek. But I think it holds a life lesson for any disappointments we experience. I admit it would be great if my biggest disappointment in life was Ryan Howard striking out. But it isn’t and there are far many worse ones to come. Yet, the lesson remains the same. There are no guarantees in life, even when you have the best record. Disappointments and tragedies happen. And we have a choice on how we deal with them. We can bitch and moan or we can dig deep and try to learn something. We can become stronger. We can help others who are going through the same thing. We can do what out mothers told us and “offer it up.” Sounds silly and trite but it is actually quite profound. We can simply say, “God, this didn’t go my way, but thanks anyway.”
I am very aware that is this much easier done over baseball than real life. But I hope you see my point. As for me, here’s what I plan to do about my beloved Phils: I will wander another forty years (God willing), cheering and being disappointed. Hoping every once in awhile for that sweet win. After all, they are sweeter when they are few and far between. And if you are looking for me in March, I will be at Spring Training because I’m not about to give up on my boys. Are you with me?
No comments:
Post a Comment