For those of you who are curious about how the football game I went to last Saturday came out, I guess it depends on your perspective. If you’re an Oregon fan, everything went just ducky. If you’re from southern California, it was a pretty good ¾ of a game. It was just that 4th quarter when they stuffed us. And watching Oregon run right through USC for that last fifteen minutes gave you the impression that they could have done this the whole game had they wanted to – they were just toying with us.
Anyone watching this game had to admit it came out the way it should. It would have taken close to a flawless game from USC coupled with a number of Oregon mistakes to even make it remotely possible for a Southern Cal miracle; and everybody in the stands knew that too. It was obvious who was the better team. We yelled ourselves hoarse hoping for the miracle, but in the end, the forgone conclusion won out. Nine times out of ten in most sports, you’re going to get what you deserve; it’s that last tenth that makes it interesting.
God’s grace operates in that last tenth of life where all the surprises are – where all the statistics mean nothing, where 2 + 2 equals something other than 4, and the impossible is standard procedure.
The Trojans were hoping for a little grace last Saturday, but they didn’t get it. Thank God you and I are more fortunate, having come into a relationship with God that is defined by the miracle. It’s way beyond what is deserved or calculated. USC v. Oregon was not to be an upset. We, on the other hand, are constantly living by upset. You can’t measure mercy. You can’t calculate grace. You can’t add up the Spirit. You can only fly by the seat of your pants. When a sports team plays this way, they say they are playing over their heads. When we live this way, we are walking in the Spirit. Anything can happen (and usually does).
Knowing this should make us bolder about stepping out and taking risks. It should make us live beyond ourselves. It should make us exceed the expected. Living by the Spirit is wild and unimaginable, but you’ve got to get in the game to find this out. You can’t know it by watching; that only makes you hoarse.
John Fischer The Catch 
“Just ducky”. Very cute!!
I appreciate your encouragement! Flying by the seat of my pants makes me feel uncomfortable, very vulnerable, since I am so prone to playing it safe! However there comes a point for all of us to take a risk . . .and leave the outcome to Him! I want to “fly” more often!