Facing Defeat

I am a HUGE Cam Newton fangirl! (for a while now... :) )

So, when he, along with his Carolina Panthers teammates lost on yesterday, I was feeling let down. But I'm sure what HE'S feeling right now, doesn't even COMPARE to that.

(He's being human, right now, people. Deal with it.)

How do we handle loss?

Are we gracious?

Are we aggressive?

Do we smile when we want to rage?

Do we skulk off somewhere to lick our wounds?

Do we blame other people?

Do we blame ourselves?

And the most important part:  CAN WE RECOVER?

There are a lot of words to go along with losing: embarrassment, humiliation, anger, rage, grief, sadness, shame, guilt, despair.

One word that popped up for me, which may sound strange is: relief.

Relief that the pressure is gone.
Relief that the game/event that I had to participate in is OVER.
Relief that I can get back to normal functioning parameters.
Relief that it's a new day.
Relief that I can breathe again.
Just...relief.

I thought it strangely odd, for relief to be in the woodpile.  But, just having dealt a loss of someone I let go of, it made sense.  I could not beat myself up, when I was the one that wanted it in the first place.  I couldn't be mad at myself for the circumstances of the broken....whatever it was...because I was the one who started it, stayed in it, and tried to make it work.  And I HAD to be the one that ended it.

We all go through this at some point in life: be it on our jobs, at home, whatever extracurricular activities we participate in:  we experience LOSS.

It's how we bounce back from loss that tells the truth about who we are.

If we allow truth to govern us, and allow God to handle our fragile selves during this time...we may not ever get all the way OVER it, but we will get PAST it.  And that's where it needs to remain: in our PAST.  There is no do-over...but in all honesty: would you want to?

Young Mr. Newton will learn, as all us have, this loss may be the BEST thing that happened to him.  It will teach him humility in the face of humiliation. It will show him how to be his best, even at his worst.  And maybe, just maybe, God will bring another Super Bowl around for him to win next time.  He must, as we all had to do, GROW UP.

Have a Great Day...