13 and 1

Last Sunday, when the Packers lost their first game of the season to the Chiefs, I was really bummed, and grumbled all over the house,

My son, Ryan, brought some perspective to the situation when he informed me the Colts had just won their first game of the season on the same day.

“The Packers are 13 and 1 and the Colts are 1 and 13,” Ryan noted, “And I wonder what’s going on in their locker rooms right now?”

I imagined the Packers slumping to the lockers under a gloomy cloud of disappointment and discouragement.  Meanwhile, I pictured the Colts cheering in wild jubilation and slapping each other on the back.

Then Ryan said, “But despite how they’re feeling today, the fact is the Packers are still 13 and 1 – and on top of the league, while the Colts, at 1 and 13, are still in the basement.”

And I needed to hear that.

Sometimes, like the Packers, We end up getting beat by perplexing problems.   When life takes a negative turn, we tend to sag in discouragement.  If we’re not prayed up and filled with positive juice, the negative stuff can sink into the human spirit like a brick,  It is easy to let yesterday’s defeat describe today’s reality.

The truth is, you are not a failure if you experience a loss.  When you lose, it doesn’t mean you’re a loser – only that you’re a human being.  In reality, the only true failure is failing to try again.

Come to think of it, only one team in NFL history had a perfect season – and that was four decades ago.  Those guys are all carrying AARP cards now.  The 1972 Miami Dolphins impressed the world with a 17-0 record, but even these gridiron titans fell to the Raiders the following September.  

Nobody wins all the time.  Everyone has to face defeat sooner or later.  The question is, how will you respond to it?  What will you learn from the experience?  Is this failure a stop sign or merely a detour?

If you’ve suffered a recent set-back, step back and look again.  You might just realize you’re still 13 and 1.