You Don't Expect To Lose

March Madness is underway and like my friend said, "It's living up to its name!" For my non-basketball fans, there is a big college tournament taking place. Sixty-eight teams are invited to this "dance" and before the excitement begins, teams are seeded and put into regions. The number one team plays number sixteen, two plays fifteen and so on with the winners advancing and the losers going home. It's a great time for basketball fans and an intense few weeks for players and coaches. 

Each year there are blow-out wins, come from behind wins, game winning shots and upset wins. With all that said, the greatest underdog, the number 16 seed has never won. The top seeds have had some close calls, but they’ve never lost to the wannabe “Cinderellas”…until this year. 

Friday night I watched #1 overall seed Virginia, the team I picked to win it all in our family bracket contest, play a tight first half with UMBC, a team with only one power 5 win. Like most I thought - the 2^nd half will be different, Virginia will play their game, UMBC will get tired and on and on, but all this thinking was wrong. The first half proved to be just the beginning of what UMBC could do; the game went on and it was clear to see the night, the game and history, belonged to the small school from Maryland.

Through the years I’ve come to respect Tony Bennett, Virginia’s coach. From what I’ve read and seen, he’s a man who coaches the right way and knows it’s about more than wins and losses. His faith played a part in the perspective he shared in the post-game interview. I appreciated his words and believe God will work through this loss in him and his team.

As I tried to drift to sleep, my mind didn’t shut off and I found myself focused on one thought: neither team planned on losing. I’ve been an athlete and am a coach, I know competitors take the court with the goal of winning, but I also know what my grandma always told me is true – “Someone has to win and somebody has to lose.” Just because you don’t plan on losing doesn’t mean it won’t happen.

The minutes went by, but my thinking grew deeper. Athletes aren’t the only ones who experience outcomes they didn’t plan on…we do too. There are the little things like traffic delays and the 24 hour flu, but there are bigger things too like relationship struggles and cancer diagnosis. These things aren’t on our bucket lists or goal sheets, but they are part of the life we live.

My thoughts didn’t stop there and this post won’t stop here because I think there’s an important truth God reminded me of: we don’t plan on dying either. Friend, those words are hard to type and it’s a reality that’s hard to read, but it’s a statement we must deal with.

Personally, I wish Virginia didn’t have to suffer this historic loss, but I believe if anyone can help a team through it Tony Bennett will. I have no doubt they prepared to win, but in the bigger picture they were prepared to lose. I’ve read Tony recruits players with character and he coaches with poise so they’ll be prepared to persevere.

Friend, I know you didn’t come here wanting to read about death and neither of us woke up planning on it, but let me ask you a question – Are you prepared for it? I’m not talking about your will or life insurance, but are you ready to meet your Creator?

In John 3:5, Jesus tells us, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit."  

He continues in verses 14-18 - "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they had not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."  

Coaches and fans couldn't will Virginia to a win, the players had to play defense and make shots; in the same way nobody else can get you to heaven and nothing you do will earn you a spot. This is a personal decision you must make that will affect your home for eternity. It's not a decision to take lightly or put off. 

One final thought - if you are ready for the inevitable, chances are someone you know and love is not. I encourage you to pray for this person and think about how you can help them be prepared for what they are not planning on.

Losing is no fun, but I’ve been in sports long enough to know good can come from defeat. And if this historic loss plays a role in someone avoiding the only defeat that is eternal it will be a great victory in the end!