Riding High With the W
Everyone loves a win…a great comeback story…or when the underdog gets their victory.
The W means success! It’s the reward for the hard work and perseverance. It can bring joy, money, opportunity and can smooth the path ahead. Many of us live for the W. I know I did.
About thirteen years ago, my former law partner and I were trying a very difficult case involving a multi-vehicle accident and death of a young father. It was a terrible lawsuit with all evidence stacked against us. We were not supposed to win. We knew it going in. But during the three week trial, I started to smell victory ahead. I got caught up in the excitement of a high profile trial and my overbearing desire to win, and eventually convinced myself the W would be handed to us. During jury deliberations, I had to wait. Hours upon hours…I waited for my client’s fate…my ego’s nourishment…the ticket to another big case. As the hours ticked by, my nervous belly erupted. Panic coiled my veins. Doubt and fear took over my mind and eventually defeated my spirit. I knew we were going to lose. When the jury read back the verdict, citing my client with wrong doing, and awarding a large multi-million dollar verdict, my soul crushed. My partner, however, nearly skipped out of the courthouse with a smile on his face.
“What are you all giddy about? We just got our client popped with a multi-million dollar verdict?” I asked sullenly.
“Are you kidding? That was a huge win!” He exclaimed still smiling but shaking his head at me.
“We weren’t supposed to win, Liv. The verdict was less than our last offer to settle. Our client gave us that case acknowledging it was a loser and asked us to keep the verdict under $5 million…and it is WAY under. Today, we put up a W.,” he explained. “Woo!” He shouted as I still moped in defeat.
It would be a decade before I could get onboard with this mindset…the notion that a loss can still be a win. More on that in a minute.
We know the win feels amazing and invigorates our minds. We know the win makes us want to accomplish more. Many of us feel peace when we get that W!
But there is a more important W from which we can find peace, joy and the presence of God.
The Wait.
Life is full of waiting before the glorious win. We anxiously wait to get pregnant and then must again wait those long, tiring and uncomfortable nine months before we meet our little angels. We must endure the pain and discomfort of ailments before treatment, medication or healing takes affect. We pace the floor, filled with fear and anxiety, as we wait for a doctor to tell us good news while a loved one is in surgery. We wear down the carpet beneath our knees while praying for our wayward children. We imagine every worst case scenario, watching our bank account trickling down to pennies, while waiting for the hiring manager to tell us we got the job. We give up on love over and over again while waiting for a future spouse.
Our lives are riddled with the icky W…the one that doesn’t feel good, the one that doesn’t elate us with a hit of dopamine.
Today, while my own anxiety and fear about the future took control and permeated every thought and emotion, two divine things happened within minutes of each other.
My daily devotional scripture cited 2 Timothy 1:7: For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity; but of power, love and self-discipline. As I read it, I knew it was a divine message. Our Heavenly Father knows what we need when we need it. He knew today would be the day that I needed His word, His message of love, to hug and comfort me.
As I grabbed my laptop to check email, a piece of paper fell from within the laptop. It was a notecard from church more than 4 weeks ago. It contained my handwritten notes from a sermon titled, “In the Waiting.” Again, I immediately acknowledged this as a divine intervention of my woeful thoughts.
Our pastor spoke to us about the WAIT:
W - Walk Intently With God. We must bind together with Him. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12. When we surround ourselves with Godly community, whether that be through believer friends or a believer spouse, and bind in unity with God, we are stronger together.
A - Actively Pursue God. Every single day, we must actively seek God in all we do. Seek God and the kingdom of heaven first. Matthew 6:33. We must not be anxious, but in everything, we should pray, giving thanks and letting our requests be known to God. Philippians 4:6.
I - Intentional With What We Have. While we are waiting…Are we being good stewards of His blessings and promises? Are we using our gifts and talents for the good of the kingdom? Are we lifting up the people around us? Are we praying for our leaders and giving generously of our time and resources? For Jesus declared, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,” John 8:31.
T - Trust God. When we are called, when we are chosen, we must give God our “yes”. When He calls to us, are we responding appropriately (like Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Samuel, Isaiah, and Ananias)? “Here I am.” Genesis 22:1; Genesis 22:11; Genesis 31:11; Exodus 3:4; 1 Samuel 3:4; Isaiah 6:8; Acts 9:10. We are called to trust God in all circumstances with all our hearts and not to lean on our own understanding. Proverbs 3:5-6. We are called to be strong and courageous for God is with us and will strengthen us in our time of waiting. Joshua 1:9; Isaiah 41:10.
There are no coincidences in life, folks. When we are united with our Heavenly Father, He shows up in our waiting room and throws us a W. Sometimes it’s the miracle Win. Sometimes it’s Wise Counsel to guide and pray with us. Sometimes it’s God’s own Word of encouragement. Regardless of what the W looks like, we have the ability to receive it as Wisdom.
Today, I received it and am so thankful for His faithfulness!
So while we wait for an answer to our fervent prayers or for His light to illuminate our next step, bask in the glory of His W! For in the waiting, we are building spiritual endurance. We are growing closer to Him…and let’s never forget…
The ultimate win has already occurred. In the darkest hour in all of humanity, when the world was lost and broken with the Son of God hanging on a cross, all hope had been eliminated…until Jesus put up the greatest W of all time.
The blessing comes after the uncomfortable wait.
Thank you, Lord! For you are with us in the wait…you will never leave nor forsake us…you are lifting us up and preparing our way…teach us, Lord, to bask in the glory of this W…for we know our strength comes from you! We delight in your faithfulness, your Word of truth, wisdom and encouragement, and thank you for the Wise Counsel of community you have surrounded us with…while we wait for the wins here on Earth and our most desired win of eternity with you, we will abide in you!
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
