Fair-Weather Fan
By Lisa Lakey
My favorite football team is having a rough season. Truth be told, this is just one in a long line of rough seasons. (As I write this, the other team has scored a second touchdown—y'all, we are less than four minutes into the first quarter.)
A lot of "fans" have jumped ship at this point. And I get it. Cheering for a losing team is hard stuff. Not for the faint of heart.
It's easier to find another team, one that sees a dang victory every now and then, for crying out loud. Because who wants to stick by a team that can't seem to win, right?
Unfortunately, a lot of people have the same mentality about marriage.
A couple of years into our marriage, my husband and I were both ready to jump ship. Marriage was harder than we had anticipated. We were more selfish than either of us had really known. We were both weary and frustrated from being on a losing team. We couldn't find anything left to cheer about.
But you know what? Things did get better. With some godly counsel, a lot of humility, and time, we learned not to be fair-weather fans of our marriage. We learned not to jump ship when our spouse was going through a rough season. We learned a season is just that—a season.
As the first quarter winds down, it's pretty obvious my football team won't be seeing a win today. A championship game is definitely out of our near future. I'm not even sure they'll score a touchdown today.
But win or lose, I'll be sporting my team colors.
Ever heard there’s no “I” in team? Read “Lessons From a Basketball Coach: The Value of Selflessness.”
The Good Stuff: And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9)
Action Points: How’s your team doing this season? Winning, losing, or a little of both? Talk to your teammate about what your marriage needs to win right now.
Visit the FamilyLife® Website
