“I won.” “I lost.”
Either way, my little nephew, Andrew, would throw his arms into the air with equal delight. Playing Chutes and Ladders and Candy Land with him was pure fun.
Then he grew up. I mean he really grew up. Today, Andrew is six feet four and a half inches tall. He no longer enjoys losing. He played hard as the star of his high school basketball team. In college, he studies hard to make straight As. And he usually beats all of us at Scrabble. (I still smile when I think about the one game I tied with him.)
Sometimes I miss the little guy who found equal joy in victory and defeat; most of the time I don’t, for now Andrew understands healthy competition. He always strives for excellence, but not at the expense of others. I have never heard him target or taunt anyone else. His competition is with himself. What’s important to him is, at all times, to be able to stand before himself, his parents, his aunt, and his Lord knowing that he did his best.
5-SECOND PRAYER: Lord, help us keep a humble spirit as we work and compete. Amen.
