I’m a Cubs fan.
As an early adolescent I had the opportunity to see 45 to 50 games in Wrigley Field. In the years we lived in the Chicago area, they never had a winning record. Speaking of records, the Cubs were the first to win the World Series in back to back seasons – in 1907 & 08. That’s about it. They made a real strong showing through the next 3 decades, but their last pennant win was in 1945.
That was before the lights, so they were all day games. I saw them play just about everyone at some time or another. Sometimes attendance would be down a little early in the week, but usually the seats were pretty full. Cubs fans are loyal – win or lose (and that was usually lose).
My dad could fix anything.
It didn’t start out that way. He was always mechanically inclined and in the area of electronics, he was well trained by the U.S. Navy. In fact, in the last couple of years of service, he was an electronics instructor. But other than electronics, he had to figure it out.
No matter what it was, he would take it apart, make some drawings and then head down to the library. He’d go through service manuals and repair manuals. He’d take notes and make more drawings (this is well before photocopiers). Then he’d come home and fix it.
This meant nothing was really dead in our household. It could always be made to work just one more time (it also meant that it was hard as the dickens to ever get anything new). Nothing was ever thrown away.
God continues to demonstrate His love for me.
We’re used to, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” But this love is not limited to an act of sacrificial love 2000 years ago, or even our “moment of salvation” when we moved from death to life.
God demonstrates His love toward me continually. With provision in unusual or creative ways (sometimes just plain weird ways), by connection to brothers and sisters in His family or peace in chaotic or troubling circumstances, He shows that not only does He know me, but He notices and actually cares about me. His love never fails.
I guess that’s why I rarely give up on someone.
God has never given up on me. No matter how willful, defiant or just plain dumb I can be. My experience with dad tells me that nothing is ever broken beyond repair. There is always an opportunity to fix it. And as a Cub’s fan? Maybe I’m just not bright enough to know when to give up.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.