Even Losers Are Winners With God

Today’s reading: Isaiah 41:13-16

I have recently joined a last place tennis team. Every Thursday night we play a total of 5 matches against another team, and only occasionally do we win one. Usually the other guys shut us out entirely.

On days when we’re not playing against another team, we often get together to play each other informally. I always win those matches, and several of my buddies have said I am clearly the best player on our team. (One guy admits he loses a little sleep sometimes  trying to figure out how to beat me. Ha.)

Last night, after a guy from another team beat me handily, he and I walked around to the other courts and discovered that, as usual, my team was losing every match, yet again.  The man complimented me on my play and briefly mentioned the possibility that he and I could end up on the same team at some point. (The current league’s season will be ending soon and there has been much talk among all players about team line-ups for the next season, which will start almost immediately thereafter.) A few minutes later, as I was chatting with several players from his team — and as my opponent was talking up my game in front of them — I realized that I could probably jump ship if I so desired. (To this team or any of the others we’ve played this season.)

Yes, I am probably just an inquiry away from being able to play with a truly competitive, winning team. I could join a group that meets weekly with a professional coach, that has highly organized practice sessions several other times each week, whose players meet for lunch to talk tennis strategy and discuss ways to improve one another’s game, that has a history of winning state championships and advancing to large, national tournaments.

That might be fun. It would certainly satisfy the competitiveness in my spirit.

As I was contemplating all of this, the captain of my current team (which may, seriously, change  its name to “The Losers” or “The Big Joke”) approached and asked if I would be playing with them again next season.

It was not a tough decision.

“Yeah, sign me up! Let’s do it!”

Today’s reading makes me proud to stay with my little tennis group, disorganized and as haphazard as it is.

The people of Israel stuck together — even after their time of exile,when times were still very tough and other nations still referred to them as a “lowly worm” (verse 14) — and eternal glory was the result.

Likewise, I’m confident that “The Losers” will eventually become regular winners — and we’re going to have a great time getting there. (Won’t that be fun to play for a championship with a name like that!?)

Thanks be to God for His eternal gift of hope.