Leaning Forward

Hell has not frozen over and pigs are not flying, BUT the New Orleans Saints  are going to the Super Bowl!  Can you believe it? I never thought I would see this day! I’m not a Saints fan, though I was pulling for them to get to this point, and I’ll be cheering for them on Sunday, but I do have a lot of friends that have supported the team through the years, good and bad (mostly bad). I’m thrilled for them, but not only for my friends, but for the city of New Orleans. New Orleans is a city that loves the Saints, and the Saints are a team that loves the city of New Orleans. I see the excitement and joy that the Saints have brought to so many people, and it does my heart good to see the people of New Orleans so elated over the success of their team. As an elderly told me just this morning, “I’ve waited my whole life for the saints to make it to the Super Bowl.”

I know there are some in the religious circles that would tell us that sports and the things of the world should not bring us this much joy and happiness, and they would be quick to remind us of the encounter that Jesus had with the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17. Yet, Jesus’ issue with the rich ruler wasn’t that he owned things; rather, that his things owned him. I believe that God intentionally places things like hobbies, sports, people, and entertainment in our lives for us to enjoy along the way. He simply cautions us not to let them get in the way.          

When the Saints and Colts kick off Super Bowl 44, it will be almost 4 years and 4 months to the day that Katrina reeked havoc on the Gulf Coast and the city of New Orleans. So I say to everyone in the “who dat nation” from Shreveport to Slidell, and everywhere in between, this coming Sunday is the day you’ve been waiting for. I hope it is everything you thought it would be and more. Who knows by the end of the day Sunday, we could be calling the New Orleans Saints World Champions! Now, that is something worth smiling for.