WARNING: Cub fan gloating ahead!
Yes, I’ve been a Chicago Cubs fan since I was five years old, meaning I’ve spent the past 29 years wanting the seemingly unattainable. I lived through the playoff implosion of 1989, the Sammy Sosa scandals, Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS, Lou Pinnela’s tantrums, eight 90 plus loss seasons, the Quade, Sveum, and Renteria “eras,” and untold numbers of failed relief pitchers. There have been so many times I’ve simply thought I’d never see a World Series happen. The old Cub fan phrase “hope springs eternal” seemed a little too cruel and inaccurate. “Pain springs eternal” seemed a bit more on target. But, this past Wednesday at 11:46pm CST the Chicago Cubs became World Series Champions. I was lucky enough to be in Chicago that night, and what a celebration it was! I’ve never seen such a joy filled group of people in my entire life!
Now that I’m done gloating, let me share with you two things about hope that I’ve been reminded of during the Cubs’ World Series run.
- Hope really does spring eternal: I used to live on a lake in Wisconsin, and every winter the frigid temperatures froze the lake nearly solid. All except one small section near our house. Thats because a small spring fed into the lake there, and between its warmer water and constant movement that small section never froze. No matter what happens in our lives, disease, economic collapse, depression, death of loved ones, etc. our lives never freeze completely over. Even in the most wretched of circumstances God’s hope is constantly bubbling up in our lives. What is that hope? The promise that He made to us—eternal life 1 John 2:25. It is the GUARANTEE we have of eternal life in a perfect heaven. No matter what goes wrong in our lives (and trust me, plenty of things will) no one can ever take away the guarantee of eternal life we have because of the sacrificial death of Jesus on the Cross. As long as we confess our sins and believe in Him the ultimate reward is already on reserve for us.
- We need to celebrate eternal life daily: Not to be mean, but its kinda sad that the greatest joy I’ve ever witnessed in others is due to the outcome of a baseball game. Lets be honest: we take God’s grace for granted. We sit around and bemoan our situation in life, and we forget to celebrate daily the reality that we’ve been saved for all eternity.Here’s what Paul tells us in Romans 5:1-2: Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Lets take time EVERY day to praise God for what He has done for us, and to let the gift of God’s grace flood over us.
