As most of you know this is Final Four weekend, and there are only 4 lucky teams left battling for a National Title! It is also Easter weekend, and families will be celebrating in various ways throughout the country. This will be the first Easter I will have spent away from my family in all my 22 years of life. I am really busy with school, so I decided to stay in Johnson City to catch up on some school work. Luckily some of my friends will still be in town, so we will get to spend the weekend together.
I am anxiously awaiting Saturday night when my team, the Duke Blue Devils, will face West Virginia in the semi-finals of the NCAA tournament. At the beginning of the tournament, I would have been completely satisfied with just a place in the Final Four. But, with all the other #1 seeds out, I am confident that Duke can win it all! At this point, I would be completely devastated if they didn't pull through. March Madness was at its best this year, and if there is one thing that excites me....it's basketball, especially Duke basketball.
How ironic that one of the biggest events in the entire world of sports is held the same weekend as Easter, and yet many of us can't seem to get as excited or be as confident in God as we are in our favorite sports teams! After all, He gave us something more than a National Championship...he gave us life! And our teams can sometimes let us down, and leave us devastated and disappointed. When has God not been faithful? I say this because I am probably more guilty than anyone when it comes to letting basketball take over my life. I guess this blog post is more of a confession. This year basketball has consumed my life, and has excited me game after game! Why can't I let Jesus consume my life, and excite me the way basketball excites me?
This is a challenge more to myself, but I hope it will challenge all of you as well. I am still going to watch the games this weekend, and pull just as hard for my Blue Devils, but I am going to try to be more mindful of what is occupying my time, and keeping me from a more intimate relationship with my Creator. I am going to spend some time with God this weekend, and pray that the excitement I get from being with Him will far outweigh any excitement even a National Title would bring to my life!
I guess I should thank my cousin Brian for this epiphany, as I read his blog post about God being more exciting than the ACC tournament. It was a much needed slap in the face, so thanks! I hope you all have a wonderful and exciting Easter remembering the sacrifice God made, and the fact that he is risen and is preparing a place in heaven for us! Happy Easter =)
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1:3-5
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