When I was in grammar school many years ago, I can always remember counting how many boys were in my class on the days when football took place. Inevitably there were some who would have been off ill with some malady or other, but I was always delighted if the absentees were an odd number.
Why? Well, let me explain.
We were an even number of boys in the class – 32 to be exact – so if an odd number of boys were not in school, it meant there would be an odd number reporting for football that afternoon.
And that was important to me.
Have I captured your curiosity? Let me explain further.
On the games lesson, there were always two captains – the same ones every week – and they would pick teams in the usual way. Whoever won the toss had first pick, and the first player to be picked was always the same. It would always be Dai.
Dai was a football wizard; today he might be described as a younger amalgamation of Pele, Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney (if that makes sense!)
Everyone knew that the team that had Dai would, more than likely, win.
So what does that have to do with there being an odd number in the class?
Everything!
You see, when there was an odd number, there would be one lad left over at the end. He was the one that had two left feet and was the one that no-one really wanted. He would just get tagged on to the team who had made the first pick. It gave them a one player advantage, but the straggler was so bad at playing that it didn’t confer any real advantage.
That straggler was me.
It meant that I would usually be on the winning team, even though I did absolutely nothing to contribute to the victory. Dai and the team captain would do all the hard work, but I could throw my hands in the air when the final whistle went and proclaim, “We won!”
Looking back I admit it was quite unfair to share in the glory to which I had contributed nothing practical, but it felt good at the time.
I just wanted to be on the winning side.
But don’t we all, deep down want just that. Normally, all it means is that we have a feel good sensation, but it doesn’t really affect our lives in any real way.
However, there was a time in my life when I did join what could be construed as the “winning side” and that certainly had a profound impact on my entire future. It was when I accepted Jesus as my personal Saviour and sought His forgiveness for all I had done wrong. When that happened, I literally changed sides from what the Bible calls the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. Wonderfully, that change had nothing to do with my abilities, my achievements or my goodness. Like the school football game, victory came purely through the work of another, but I received all the benefit of that victory.
Jesus, as He hung on the cross, took all my sin, my failure, my pride and my shortcoming and replaced it with His righteousness, His peace and His victory.
I tell you from the bottom of my heart, it has always been good to have been on the victorious side, for I will enjoy the good of it now in this life and through all eternity.
DAILY MESSAGES WITH MEANING (01/09/25)
Written by STEPHEN TRESEDER
All photos courtesy of Unsplash
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