"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light... for unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:2,6
Tenfifteen Fc men's inaugural UPSL season came to an abrupt end the first weekend in December with a 5-1 loss to DKSC. DKSC went on to win the final 5-1 against former UPSL champions, FORO, so we know we lost to a good team. Either way, losing 5-1 and the season ending so quickly is hard to swallow. The team suffered a disappointing loss. Navigating through defeat and disappointment on a soccer team may sound fickle compared to the heavy events of the world, but there is much to be gleaned from these kinds of disappointments. At the forefront of my mind is Advent. The Christian carries suffering and hope together. Although circumstance or situation is hard, we are able to "count it all joy" (James 1:2). Why? Because we have so much hope for the future. The Jews groaned under the weight of persecution of the Roman Empire, and at the right time, Jesus came, as a baby, as the prophesied Messiah on the first Advent ("arrival"). We know that Christ has already come once to take away the sins of the world. Now, we wait, groaning once again, under the weight of the world and the pain of suffering, injustice and sadness... to name a few. However, we are waiting with longing and hope because we know that "he who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23), and He will come back to judge the earth, and wipe away every tear (Rev.21:4). So as Christians, we are able to hold joy and suffering together, because we, like Paul, can "...consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." (Romans 8:18).
So what does Advent have to do with Tenfifteen FC and a season closed out in disappointment. Well, not a lot, except that Christ encompasses every part of our lives, so as we live to please God, we use every opportunity we can to share the gospel and make disciples. So, in the team's disappointment, we shared about Advent and the true hope and joy that we have in Jesus, no matter the circumstance. Despite the disappointment, the team looks forward to the next season starting in April. They had some fun at training the other day making the 10//15 Christmas card, and we want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!