Cheering the Underdogs

Don Quixote by Greg Scanlon

When was the last time you gave up?

What caused you to realize that going on the way you were going was futile and it was time to walk away?

Do you ever wonder if you made the right decision?

Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. - Luke 5:4-5

In today's reading, Luke gives us a snapshot of that moment of indecision, right after the men had quit, after all their efforts had failed and they realized it was fruitless to continue.

Just then, Jesus tells Simon to try one more time.

But Master, he says, we've been at it all night.

I come to that point often, when I stop and reassess, contemplating the value of continuing down a particular path, following a particular lead, toiling more on a project that seems to have no chance of reaching the goal.

It is normal and a good business practice to assess where we are, where we are headed and how much effort we will need to expend to get there.

But sometimes I wonder if some decisions to give up are made too soon.

Would it have been better to stick it out a bit longer, to try one more time, to give it one more chance?

I meet people all the time who never give up.  They keep at it, even when all evidence points to the need to cut their losses and go home.

In competitions, we call them underdogs.  We love to route for them.  We hold them up as examples of resilience and fortitude against all odds.

We cheer them on and pride ourselves on being their supporters when they succeed.

But in the real world, where we face challenges each day, who cheers us on when we struggle to see success up ahead?

God does.

Jesus does.

As children of God, we need to be the cheerleaders and loyal fans for each other.

That is the message I believe Jesus gave to Peter that day in the boat.  You can do this.  It is out there waiting to be achieved.  Don't give up.

So, how do we translate that into the practical perspective we take in our own lives, in the lives of our children?  We don't want to fail, and we don't want them to fail, but failure is not so bad.

It is one of life's lessons.  Without it, what joy is there in succeeding?

In this Yin/Yang world, we can't have one without the other, and we can't protect ourselves or those we love from pain and disappointment.

What we can do is be there for them and pray that someone is there for us.

He is.  And He is waiting to hear from us.

More to come...