| STEWARDSHIP—LIVING CHRISTIANITY
[ RADICALLY]
New World Articles
10-26-03 Rich Goode
BROKEN, BUT GRATEFUL
By Rich Goode
Here I sit, a tragic figure in the wake of another devastating
collapse by a Chicago sports team. I try to look at my life as every
Christian steward must, through the lens of gratitude.
Is there a message here? What can a Cubs fan find to be grateful
for in such a defeat?
There must be something about rooting for a team like the Cubs that
makes me a better steward than I would be if I were, say. a Yankee
fan. George Steinbrenner, it seems, has a lot to learn about Christian
stewardship. Where is the gratitude, Mr. Steinbrenner? Instead of
being grateful for the effort of his employees, all he does is point
out their shortcomings. I fear my bitterness is seeping through
here.
Admittedly, I am to blame for my own bitterness. During the championship
series, I truly believed that they had overcome all curses. I thought,
surely, they would reach the World Series this time. I realized
my mistake on Tuesday night as soon as that poor soul in the stands
knocked the ball away and it all started to unravel. It dawned on
me that I was foolish to abandon all my defenses and let myself
dream. Woe is me.
I dreamed the way I used to dream when I was a kid. My first dream
was to play center field in the majors. I don’t think I truly
let that dream go until I saw that most ballplayers were my age
and many were younger. Now they’re all younger.
As dreams like that fell by the wayside, I began to live in the
real world where most people don’t succeed like the Yankees.
I think accepting this reality brings us in touch with what is important
in life. Disappointment can lead us to see the blessings that we
have been missing. Accepting who we are (and most of us are not
unqualified successes) allows us to look deeper and appreciate things
we might otherwise take for granted. Now that is what stewardship
is all about.
Maybe I am better off not being a center fielder. I have enjoyed
a lot of great relationships that I would have missed if life had
led me in that direction. In the end, I like the life I’m
living. I’m not on TV, but my life is real and enriching.
Maybe the Cubs fans are better off than Yankee fans. We are more
down-to-earth. We don’t fall into the trap of expecting too
much and, instead, focus on being grateful for all we have.
Maybe Yankee fans are happy for a few weeks each fall but, in the
end, aren't we much better off? I'd sure love to put that theory
to the test some day. Go Cubbies in 2004.
Goode is director of estates and planned giving for the Archdiocese
of Chicago.
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