"The Aint's" No More

This Sunday millions of Americans will gather with family and friends around the biggest HD Television they can find with their favorite foods and drinks, and cheer, cry and even yell during America’s #1 watched televised event, The Super Bowl. I will be one of those crazy fans. This year’s Super Bowl pits the league’s MVP, Peyton Manning and the charging Indianapolis Colts, against the surging New Orleans Saints. The two best teams of the regular season will meet with both having high octane offenses and takeaway defenses. This highly anticipated Superbowl may be the most watched televised event ever. But for one of the teams, to be in the Super Bowl seemed as likely as playing golf on the moon.

For many years the fans of the Saints would sit in their stadium seats with paperbags over their heads, eye holes cut out, with “The Aints” inscribed on it with a black marker. Instead of proudly cheering on their team waving the yellow and black Terrible Towels of the Steelers fans, or wearing foam cheese hats as Packers, they displayed their faithful support, yet with low expectations, by wearing the “Aint’s” paperbags over their heads. The faithful Saints fans endured season after long season of disappointment, losing and being one of the most ridiculed teams the past 30 years. When hurricane Katrina flooded and devastated their city, the damaged Superdome became a temporary refuge for those who lost everything. Those images reinforced this hopelessness, that fate was against them, and despite their best efforts they were doomed to failure, not only as a football team, but now as community. This Sunday they have an opportunity to prove that those days are behind them, and they are the best team in the NFL.

The New Orleans Saints journey reminds me of a promise God gave to the Israelite people in Jerusalem 2,400 years ago. At this time, the Israelites were the remnant from captivity by Persia and returned to live in Jerusalem. With the city’s walls, buildings and majestic Solomon’s Temple destroyed, they were a beaten down, hopeless, and discouraged people. As God spoke through the prophet Haggai, he encouraged them to be faithful and obedient to his will and work....to rebuild the temple and reestablish the sacrifices, celebrations and prayers of Worship to God. After several months they were faithful in beginning the work, but they saw little fruit to their labor in life and in the rebuilding the Temple. That’s when God said things will change:

But from this day on, I will bless you. Haggai 2:19

In our lives, I think we can go through seasons like the Saints and the Israelites that in the midst of being faithful, working hard, striving for success, doing the best that we can…we see only failure, with little fruit to show from our labor. However, I can see in my life that if I am faithful to God’s direction and will for me, and persevere, there will be that watershed moment where God proclaims “But from this day on, I will bless you.” I will enjoy the fruit of faithfulness, not by my hand, rather through the power and mercy of my Father’s hand. It might be in my stewardship of finances, my relationships, my roles as husband, father and friend, or even in service and ministry.

Today, might be that day, when you can pull that old crumpled paper bag off your head, and shed the discouragement of being “Aints”, and proudly wear the jersey of Gold, Purple and White (no, not the Vikings), but the colors representing the highest value, royalty and purity in being on God’s Team in the fullness of His blessing.