On Saturday night I was at the Tennessee vs. South Carolina football game.  Carolina lost the game 31-17.  Tennessee is ranked 8th in the country, but I was proud of the effort of the Gamecocks.

Toward the end of the game there was a very bad call by an official.  Carolina’s receiver, Sidney Rice, was being thrown a pass when the defender grabbed him by the jersey.  As a result, he had no chance to catch the ball.   That is not just my opinion.  When they showed the replay, 85,000 people saw it very clearly.  Even the Tennessee people knew they had been given a gift.   We yelled and screamed but it didn’t make any difference.

Perhaps you have seen the play.  It was a bad call.  It happens in every type of sport.  No matter how hard the officials try, there are always going to be some bad calls.  Some officials are worse than others, but none of them are perfect.

That is the way life is.  We live in a sinful, imperfect world.  There are going to be tough breaks.  They are not fair and they are not fun.  Just as they are a part of the game, they are a part of life.  Players have to learn to deal with the bad calls and move on.  The same is true of us.

I have seen so many people that face hardship or heartbreak and do it with courage and stamina.  Each time I am challenged and encouraged when I see their character.  They refuse to be stopped.  In spite of great trial, they live life to the fullest.

They understand what Jesus was talking about in John 10:10.  Jesus said He came so that we might have life and have it more abundantly.  That does not mean we will not have some of those bad calls.  It means that when we put our trust in Him, we can survive the disappointments in life because we can be certain that He will not leave us or forsake us.

Unlike the teams we watch on the field, we know that in the end, we the followers of Christ are going to win!