Just a quick thought about life as it relates to baseball.  Watching these playoff games can do a number on your nerves.  My team won today even though there were more than a few moments of great tension.  They were behind for a long time until scoring four runs in the seventh inning.  Holding onto that lead was not easy.  I wanted to watch but would also turn away just due to the nervous feeling that comes from a tight ballgame.  You would think that such a game would be exciting to watch.  Maybe there are times when the excitement becomes too much?  You get wrapped up in every pitch or play.  My heart would do the proverbial leap into the throat when times got tough.  Winning the contest was a mixture of elation and relief.  Now we get to do it all over again tomorrow.

Wouldn't it be easier to watch a game after you already know that your team wins?  Sure it would be much less stress but where is the fun in that?  Not knowing what may take place in sports is one of the reasons so many watch.  Any team can beat another team on any given day.  It's why we root for the underdog or why upsets capture our imagination.  We never saw some outcome as even possible yet it happens.  I like to watch old games that are shown on cable.  Many times I already know the final score.  It brings back pleasant memories but it is not nearly the same as watching it live.

Here is my spiritual point.  Most believers will defend their faith in the return of Jesus to the top of their lungs.  We do know what happens in the end even if we do not know the when.  So why is it that so few actually participate in the action now?  The same individuals who sing or state their faith in the second coming are sometimes people who do little now.  It's as if knowing we win means we don't have to be involved in the mission now.  Let me go one step further.  Why does it seem like some who believe in the return of Jesus take such little time to get to know Him?  Meeting a loved one after a time apart is far different than meeting a stranger.  Jesus desires to be known and obeyed now.  It may not lessen the tensions of life but it will make it all much more enjoyable. 

Bro. Trey