I’m an Ohio State Buckeye fan, (say it with me now “O-H-I-O”). When you’re a Buckeye fan, your expectations stay high. Each game we get to see a strategic plan unfolding, observe an energy radiating from players on the field, and witness incredible displays of athleticism, (“Did you see that catch?”). I can’t help but think about the 2011 game against Wisconsin that looked like OSU was letting a win slip away. His team down 26-29, a minute and 10 seconds left on the clock, quarterback Braxton Miller winks at his coach and says, “We’re all right.” He was anticipating that something good was about to happen. And it did! Miller stepped onto the field and with 20 seconds left on the clock, threw a 40 yard touchdown pass to win the game.
In the same way, we can expect good things in our future. It may seem that all the baggage we’re carrying from the past will hold us back, but we can let go of it. From Isaiah 48:14, “Forget what happened in the past, and do not dwell on events from long ago.” Instead of thinking about the troubles of yesterday, focus on the good of today and the beauty in tomorrow. Proverbs 23:18 says, “Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.” Just like in football, things can come against us (luckily, not a 6 foot, 300 pound lineman). Life certainly has it’s share of challenges, but everyday we have the choice to look back or to look forward. So let’s get a new game plan, and expect that something good is about to happen. Because if you check, you’ll see there’s still time left on the clock.
Last year I went through what I’ll call my personal health crisis. I had a back injury that kept me ‘surviving but not thriving.’ It’s hard to think about the times when I couldn’t drive, when sitting in a chair wasn’t an option, or when the pain was at its worst and I just cried. But here’s the thing, even in the middle of this dark time, there was light. I saw it in the faces of people who wanted to help. My mom came and cleaned my house and took me to get groceries every week. Numerous friends called, emailed, and sent cards. Some friends and family stopped by for a visit and brought dinner. A variety of people were kind enough to mow my lawn and one couple just took the job over completely. And for them it wasn’t just mowing: Tom cleaned out my gutters (that doesn’t even get done when I’m healthy!), and Marilyn did numerous things around the house to make my life easier. I will be forever grateful for having such loving and caring people in my life.
In Ohio, the weather can be unpredictable. (I think I just heard someone call me ‘Captain Obvious.’) A week ago we had one such evening that I’ll call ‘Interesting’. Although we had temperatures hovering in the 70’s a few days before, this night it began to snow. I wish I could says that’s all it did, but Ohio let loose with every type of weather in its arsenal. We experienced periods of snow, then hail, and a little freezing rain for good measure. After that the sun came out for a minute, and the next thing I knew it was raining. Thunder and lightning followed, sprinkled with a few more snowflakes. At times it was a white blanket out my window, and then I saw the sun charge through the clouds. This roller coaster of weather went on for some time, and was impossible not to watch, as one second hail piled up in my landscaping, and then was abruptly washed by rain. On and on the changes went, each overshadowing the former.
I like to watch the NCAA basketball tournament. But sometimes I’m busy when a game I really want to see is on. When that happens, I record the game so I can watch it later. I try to avoid hearing who won the game before I watch it, but today I saw a news clip that let me know the winning team. Knowing the ending really changed my reactions during the game. When you know the finale, you can relax during the tense times. Even when it seems all is lost, you can know for a fact that it is all going to come out perfect in the end. This makes me think of Good Friday. I can’t imagine how the disciples felt when it was happening in real time, but here’s the good news for us: we know the ending! Friday had to be a dark, frightening time for the disciples, but we now know Sunday is coming. And Sunday changes everything!
The rain is falling softly outside my window today. It heralds in the beginning of a new season. There’s something about the coming of spring that produces abundant hope. Hope for a new beginning, a fresh start, or a change in circumstance. God gets credit for the seasons, and for the hope that stirs our hearts. Genesis 1:14 , “And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years…'” 
When the military needs to dig in, they make foxholes. These are considered ‘defensive fighting positions.’ When we go through tough times, we definitely need a fighting position. Taking the militaries lead, we need to address two things regarding ‘digging in.’ First, we have to make the hole big enough. We might think digging in means praying about the problem and asking others for prayer, and that certainly is part of it. But remember, we have to make the whole big enough, so we must do even more.
I recently read an article that made reference to ‘God’s Hour’. It didn’t explain what that meant but it really intrigued me. What if we chose to live in God’s Hour all the time? Our lives can get pretty complicated and we can be overwhelmed by all the junk that is thrown at us. Problems in a relationship, a health crisis, financial woes, or job frustrations can ruin our day. These are just a few of the things that cause us stress and fill our thoughts.