We know the end result.

James 1:12 TNIV

12 Blessed are those who persevere under trial, because when they have stood the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Knowing how it will ultimately turn out takes most of the anxiety out of our crisis.

CONCLUSION

Do you remember the Winter Olympics of 1980 in Lake Placid? I had just graduated from the UNL with a BA in Philosophy and I did what most students do when they get a degree in Philosophy – I moved back in with my parents. They lived in Woodbridge, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago. That’s where I was during the Olympics, which we Americans best remember for our Olympic ice hockey team. Do you remember that team, headed by Captain Mike Eruzione. They were not pros, they were college players, who were not expected to get far against the heavily favored professional hockey players of Canada, Sweden and the Soviet block countries. But, this Cinderella team with American kids nobody had heard of, went farther than anyone dared to dream and they found themselves in the championship game, Feb. 22, against their arch-rival the Soviet Union, the USSR – which was, at that time, the other super-power in the Cold War. What a match-up. Ours was the home team there in north state NY. Fans were thundering, ”USA, USA, USA.” Do you remember where you were?

I watched the game with my mother and a few of my brothers and sisters in our family room. It was a close game the whole way through. It seemed that the USA actually had a chance to keep it close, maybe even to win. They were skating like they had never skated before. They had a team chemistry that is seldom seen even among the professional teams of the NHL. But mostly they had the raw nerve to believe they could beat the most powerful hockey team in the world. In our family room, it was as if we were in the arena. We agonized when the Soviets scored and jumped out of our chairs when the USA scored, pumping our fists and jumping up and down. Our heart rate was getting elevated – we were so into the game, it was a little frightening.

My mother asked if I would do her a favor and get some milk at a gas station a few blocks away. So, during one of the longer commercial breaks, between periods, I dashed off in my truck to the gas station. But the game had started up again by the time I got to there; fortunately, the cashier inside had the game on his small TV and we started talking like we were best buddies – we were all “one nation under God” during that game. We talked excitedly about what a great game it was. I said to the cashier, wouldn’t it be great if the US won?

He said to me, “We did win – the US team won the game. Didn’t you know – the game was already played. What we’re seeing on TV is a tape-delayed broadcast.”

I returned home a changed man. As my family were cheering and throwing themselves to the floor begging for the goal to go in, I sat back and relaxed – a smile on my face – I knew how it would end.

When you see the end result of your trials and tribulations, you know something that other people don’t know. You have inside information. You don’t need to stress and worry. It’s in God’s hands and the end result is good.