Before the famed frenzy of March Madness and the bracketology begins, I go through a bracketology of my own for my favorite sport, golf. This week is the Accenture World Match Play where the top 64 golfers in the world compete in head to head competition. My wife, son and I always select our brackets before the event and then watch to see who wins. Unlike March Madness where I don’t clue in to college basketball until March and then make random guesses as to who might win, golf I follow carefully. I know who is playing well and who is not. I listen carefully to the pundits and even am aware of personal issues that are going on in the lives of the players that may affect their play. I know golf!
So why am I now sitting here two rounds into a six round tournament, without a single one of my players even left? I guess I’m no modern day Nostradamus. Maybe the reality is that no matter how informed we may think we are, life is extremely unpredictable.
Never have I been more reminded of my inability to predict the future than I am with Joe. Joe and his family met with me months ago about the possibility of Joe entering our program at The Way. Never did anyone need our program any more than Joe did, but he was absolutely the most obstinate young man I had ever met. Our meeting was filled with profanity, hatred, and anger – all from Joe. I honestly thought when they left that there is no way he will ever make it at The Way. We did not hear from him for a few months, when out of the blue he called desiring to enter our program. To be honest, as much as I desire to help every man who needs it, I also have the responsibility to protect the current residents from someone who may hurt their recovery and the peace of the house. I struggled to consider Joe a viable candidate for our program. But he was persistent and had impressed some of the other staff of his real desire. So I agreed to take a chance with Joe.
Never have I ever been more wrong! Joe has entered our program and excelled in every way. He is fairly quiet, but very committed to do whatever it takes. He has been completely open and receptive. He has done whatever was asked of him and more. Everyone that gets to know him picks him, first!
If we were in a school yard picking teams, I would have thought Joe to be selected last, but once everyone gets to know him, he is the first selection every time.
So this weekend, as Joe prepares to be baptized into Christ and totally commit his life to Jesus tomorrow, I am thankful that once again I’m proven to be a poor prognosticator. Once again the Lord proves that what is impossible with man is possible with God. Praise be to the God of possibility!
Tom Reynolds