March Madness

March. The month for which college basketball fans eagerly await. A month chocked full with late night game watching, sleepy-eyed work mornings and bracket rivalries. Weeks of great basketball. Days of watching players overcome adversity to make buzzer-beating, game-winning shots.

Our family has a long history of bracket game play. We always play for a lofty prize. In fact, for years, the winning family member claimed a 12-pack of pop at the losers' expense! Actually, I think the biggest prize is the trash-talking, bragging rights. Yep. Happens every year.

When it comes to filling out our brackets, we each have our own philosophy. Randy follows his gut and is loyal to his favorite teams. Barry uses his immense basketball knowledge and statistical brain. Lorie uses a haphazard system, which may include team colors, favorite college location or mascot in making her choices. I tend to look at overall record and win streaks as factors in my bracket selection process.

But once the games start, we all tend to have one thing in common. Even though our brackets may not reflect it, we cheer for the underdog. The long shot. The Cinderella team.

Upsets are what make NCAA college tournament play exciting. It's great watching a low seed take out a higher seeded, highly regarded, hyped team. The intensity and determination of a team making their first appearance in the tourney is energizing. We root for those teams to overcome the statistical improbability and not only win, but win big!

Jesus was a champion for the underdog too. He rooted for the poor, the widowed and the sick. He stood up for children.

From Luke 9:
47 Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48 Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”

The March basketball season is fleeting, but outside my family room walls, life marches on. I need to be better at following Jesus' example. I need to do my part to make a difference in the lives of the world's underdogs.

Go Dawgs!