the underdog

i will never forget as a kid, my dad rooting for football teams that didn't play that well. he would say, "root for the underdog. everyone loves it when the underdog wins." ...ain't that the truth? there are hundreds of inspirational movies, most based on true stories, of men and women who had the odds stacked against them, and in the end came out as victors. who doesn't love that kind of movie? the kind where anything is possible?!

i too, like my dad rooting for less than superbowl quality football teams, like my mom, and like my sisters and brother, root for the underdog. the ones who may not dress that great, who don't look that attractive, who may smell "bad" to others, who others would write off. we root for those people, and i'm proud to say that.

i think it's a very Biblical perspective, cheering the underdog to greater things beyond what they think is possible, or able to attain. the Bible is full of under- qualified people who were called out to do mighty things....moses studdered yet he was the one Father chose to lead the israelites out of slavery. WOW! then there's gideon who told the "angel of the LORD" who visited him saying he would lead an army, that he was from the smallest tribe and the very least in his family. yet gideon, with only 300 soldiers, conquered a great army! and those two stories are only in the first few books of the Bible!!!!..there are several more men and women, young and old who did amazing things and were apart of powerful acts who, when looked at on the outside, wore the underdog uniform.

and now, in modern days, there's the battered woman and child we root for, the nerdy boy in school who gets picked...we cheer him on! the soccer player who isn't so great..we scream and yell like they're the greatest player since david beckham! (and i am referring to my sweet 6 year old calli who just started playing soccer this week..she needs A LOT of cheering on ;) ) my point is, there is something in all of us, well most all of us, at least i hope there is, that wants justice for what we see isn't fair. if we see someone hurting, we want to defend them, we want to make it right and see victory for that person! we want to see them rise and shine to be all they can be!!

i watched a long documentary tonight on youtube about obama and israel. israel is the underdog. and if you don't believe that, then you need to do your homework. i'm not speaking out of watching one thing online, i'm speaking from the Bible, from my own research, from what real facts say. and israel is by far, an underdog. i root for them! i know that our Savior and Creator backs israel because that is His land and His people! you should be rooting for them too..or atleast praying for peace for jerusalem and all of israel.

and then there's macey. the underdog i am currently rooting for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. my sweet 20 year old sister in law (david's baby sis) who i love with my whole heart and soul. she sustained a brain injury nearly 3 weeks ago and her doctor told her parents that her prognosis wasn't good..that she may not make it. and now! now she has her eyes opened, no tissue damage per the MRI, and we are cheering her on to awaken to us mentally and emotionally!!!!!!! she was an underdog...an underdog who beat the odds. who fought against what the doctors said and battled a coma and a brain injury and is now very slowly on her way to recovery. but slowly or not, she is on her way!!!

i love to see things like that, don't you? will you root for the underdog with me tomorrow? when you wake up and go to work or school, when you go to the grocery store, will you be able spot who the underdog is? they'll be the person with no smile, so give them one. they will look sad, stressed, or upset, give them a kind word. they may be all alone, sit with them and genuinley ask "how are you?" and then actually listen to what they tell you. they may be the person training for something that you don't think they'll achieve..encourage them anyway! the weak person who needs a helping hand realizing their own self worth, cheer them on and cheer them up!!!

the underdog always tells us a lesson we need, so make sure you're listening.