I’m not sure if you watched the NFC Championship game this last weekend, but if not, you missed a good one.
Seattle Seahawks vs. Green Bay Packers, at a packed CenturyLink Field, in beautiful downtown Seattle. Of course, I’m a little biased as a Washingtonian, but I was sure the Seahawks were gonna win this one and continue on to the Superbowl.
[Isn’t Seattle beautiful?]
And then the first three quarters played out.
They were getting killed. Within the first quarter, my grandma was sure they would lose. I had a little more hope than her. But as the clock ran down, further and further into the fourth quarter, it began to seem impossible. At one point, there was statistically only a 0.09% chance that they would win the game. Thats not even a tenth of a percent!
And then, with only 4 minutes left on the clock, the team began a comeback. By the time the clock ran down, the game was tied. They’d scored 15 points in less than five minutes. Three minutes into overtime, and the game was over. The Seahawks had scored 22 points in less than ten minutes, and were headed back to the Superbowl.
[Yay confetti!]
All the odds had been stacked against the team, but they overcame those odds and won. In the post-game interviews, the coach and players shared that they never saw losing as an option. And I guess that made all the difference.
This game reminded me of a time back in August when I was in sort of a similar situation. I was fundraising for my extended stay in Guatemala. I needed $3,600, and nothing was coming in. If I didn’t raise enough money, I would have been forced to buy a plane ticket home.
I kept trying to come up with a game plan for if I had to go home, but I couldn’t even bring myself to go there. I just knew that I was supposed to stay in Guatemala. Day by day, the odds stacked more against me, but I couldn’t give up hope that the Lord would provide.
[I mean, Seattle is beautiful, but look at Antigua!]
September 1st rolled around, and I was about $3,000 away from my goal. I didn’t even have enough money to cover one month more. Unless a miracle occurred, I would need to begin looking for a plane ticket that afternoon.
And then came my miracle. I checked my email, and I’d received a message from somebody committing to donate a rather large chunk of money—enough money to enable me to stay in Guatemala and keep fundraising. This was my overtime, against the odds win.
My reaction was pretty similar to that of Russell Wilson after his win…lots of tears and lots of thankfulness.
I’ve stepped back into a season of fundraising, this time seeking to raise $1,850 a month for my staff position. But I enter this season with a different attitude than I had in the past. The Lord has provided for me before, so I know He’ll provide for me again. There is no room in my mind for doubt, no room in my mind for failure.
By March 1st, I hope to have all $1,850 coming in through regular monthly supporters so that I can return to Guatemala. I’m currently 35% there, with $650 a month pledged. That means I’m already doing better than the last time (and better than the Seahawks were for most of the game).
Would you consider joining my team of monthly financial supporters?
If 25 people pledged to donate $48 a month ($12 for each of those touchdowns from the Seahawks last Sunday, see what I did there 12th Man?!), I would be 100% funded for the year.
I will be returning to Anacortes this weekend, and would love to meet with you in person to discuss my work in Guatemala. Please email me if you’d like to plan a time to meet!
And don’t forget to watch the Seahawks in the Superbowl on February 1st!
