While many of us were busy eating chips and salsa and buffalo wings while watching the Super Bowl and the Super Bowl commercials, Eli Manning and the New York Giants were busy doing what they’ve become so good at…

Winning against the odds.

When asked at the beginning of the season if he was an elite quarterback, Eli Manning responded with confidence. After losing 4 games in a row earlier in the year, Eli and the Giants were able to bounce back in a big way.

They’ve been the underdogs for much of the year.
Eli’s been the underdog for much of his life.

Sure, Eli was always highly regarded as a QB, but has always lived under his brother’s shadow.

He’s an underdog.

But he gets it done. In fact, he now has one more Super Bowl ring than his more talked about and hyped brother.

Why?

Because he doesn’t listen to the people that say he can’t…
He just does.
He believes.

He wins.

Hoping you and I can learn from it.

Don’t let people tell you what you can’t do, work hard to be sure you show them what you are capable of doing!

Your thoughts? Did you watch the game? Heck, share your favorite commercial.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes, hearing about what is going on in someone elses life helps me too. Hearing how things are going well for them and how things are working out in a good way for them makes me believe they will for me as well.

We tend to talk more when we’re in pain or hurting, but…

Sometimes, hearing about how other people are being blessed… blesses me.

So,

What’s going on with you these days? What good things have happened or are happening?

Go!

1. You’re forgiven

You were done. You were doomed. Now you’re forgiven. If God were done with you, He wouldn’t have gone to such great lengths to make forgiveness a permanent thing.

You’re still forgiven. There’s still hope because you can come to the Father in confidence that He hears you… Just you and Him.

2. You’re alive

When you’re done, you’re dead.

God still has something for you to do. he still sees you’re valuable for Earth or He’d have you in heaven. You have purpose. It’s still being accomplished.

3. You’re family

You’ve been adopted into God’s family. In fact, scripture calls you a child of the most high God.

If God was finished with you and didn’t think you could do anything else for Him or youre not valuable to the family, you wouldn’t be in it.

Take heart, God’s not done with you.

Regardless of how you feel or what you’ve been told.

You still have value
You still have work to do!

Any other signs you could add?

You and I are unacceptable.

Seriously, we’re born that way.

Ever since the fall of man, we’ve been sinful. It’s what we do. It’s who we are.

The good news?

Jesus came to change that.

He came to change who we are…
to change our very identity.

It’s not in changing our actions or changing our personality or thinking we can earn something that we become acceptable…

It’s only by changing our identity… by taking on Christ’s.

Jesus doesn’t make you acceptable by changing what you look like, but who you are.

If you’re struggling, remember that today…
It doesn’t matter what you do or what you’ve done…

All that matters is you’re in Jesus.

Why do leaves change colors in the fall?

Well, to summarize, it’s because the shorter days and smaller amounts of sunshine force the plants to begin storing food in itself for winter. In short, the trees begin to realize that they’re only weeks away from dying if they don’t do something.

It’s really just a coping mechanism.

But amidst the panic and distress of the autumn trees, God brings about beauty.

In the midst of the plants scurry for food and their lack of photosynthesis (a big word I learned about in science class), there comes about something beautiful that you and I get to enjoy year after year.

What if…

• What you’re going through right now is meant to end in something beautiful?
• Your surroundings are preparing you for a bounty?
• Your worry is gonna result in God’s perfect work?
• Your distressed now because the beauty is not far?

Hang in there.

God has a way of bringing about beauty from distress.

In nature.
In me.
In you.

How have you seen God do beautiful things through tough processes?