Sports are all about creating memories. How many of you remember where you were, or what you were doing when Jordan hit "The Shot" in 1998? Or when President George W. Bush threw out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium after 9/11? Or even today, when American Pharaoh made history and was the first horse in 37 years to win horse racing's Triple Crown? Do you remember the excitement that took place? The euphoria than rang throughout the room or arena when you saw that moment? It's something you never forget.
For me it was a special moment on Jan. 20, 1999, when my beloved Atlanta Falcons defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship to advance to their only Super Bowl. Watching Morten Andersen make that kick sent a wave of joy throughout the Reid household like never before. Not only was it surreal to see the Falcons of all teams get to football's penultimate game, the timing of it all was a reminder of why we love sports; sometimes it can serve as a healing moment.
If I may share a personal story for just a moment, it will explain everything. Just a few months earlier, my oldest brother Troy went home to be with the Lord, and we were still dealing with the pain of our tragic loss, especially with his only son just a few weeks away from being born. There wasn't much to be excited about during the latter months of 1998, but each Sunday the Falcons gave us, if for only a day, a welcome distraction, especially since we weren't used to them being so successful. When they won the game, everyone, including my mother, screamed in such exhilaration that it was something we always believed brought us together in a special way.
The reason I brought this up is that if you watched the interview after today's Belmont Stakes, there was the owner of American Pharaoh Bob Baffert, in tears, saying how he wished his parents were there to see that special victory. There was no talk of how much money he was going to make, or what it felt like to finally break the drought, but only of his family. It was a beautiful moment that was so touching.
When it comes to special victories and moments, how often do we go back to remember what took place? Joshua 4:21-24 does just that "21 He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea[a] when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.”
They remembered the great victory that the Lord provided the Israelites when they crossed the Jordan River on dry ground. How often do we take time out of our busyness to remember the victories that God has provided us in our lives? When was the last time we created a memorial to thank Him for that time we prayed for healing? Or a job that we thought was impossible to get at first?
If we can take time to remember the Miracle on Ice, when do we take time to remember the victories that the creator of miracles has given us?
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