The Longest Shot

By Joel Warren

I love when seasons change. Reminders of God’s creativity abound as temperatures and colors change.

Regarding spring, it’s hard to beat the process of leaves blooming on trees and color coming alive in the form of bluebonnets and wild flowers. Oh, and spring signifies the run for the roses, The Kentucky Derby.

This spring I was surprised to find myself partaking in the most peculiar of events; a horse race. I don’t know anything about the phenomenon of horse racing and the enormous amounts of money invested in training a horse to race. For 2 minutes this spring, however, my eyes were glued to the television.

Why? Because an unknown horse, Rich Strike, became the second longest odds entrant to ever win the 148 year old race. Rich Strike was not even entered into the race until one day before the event. The longest shot indeed.

I loved the story. The favorites left disappointed. The high stakes gamblers were caught off-guard.

The idea of the impossible being possible ignites the hope within me. Put in a spiritual context, an insane victory by an unknown racehorse stands as a reminder that as long as the Lord directs our path, and we focus on Him, we can beat all the odds and overcome. Our challenges in the workplace can be conquered, our finances can be managed, our fitness goals can be reached as a result of Christ’s strength made available to each of us.

May we not lean on our own strength and understanding, but win the race as we lean on Him.

Philippians 4:13