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    A few months back, I was driving home in my car listening to the AFC Wild Card football game between the Tennessee Titans and the Buffalo Bills. With 16 seconds left, the Bills kicked what appeared to be the game-winning field goal.

    Around the same time, I noticed my car was low on fuel, so I turned off the radio assuming the game was over and pulled into a service station to fill the ol’ gas tank. After fueling, I returned to my car and turned the radio on again to find some music to listen to.

    Just before turning the radio dial, I was confused by what I was hearing. Tennessee fans were cheering in the background and the Titans radio announcer was continually saying, “He’s got something... he’s got something.” “There’s something wrong with this radio,” I thought. I turned up the volume and heard the announcer say, “The first play-off game of the century has yielded a play that will be talked about for the next hundred years!” After Buffalo’s field goal, Tennessee’s Kevin Dyson had run the ensuing kickoff back for a game winning touchdown in what has been dubbed “The Music City Miracle.” That’s why everyone was cheering.

    Imagine that!

If only I hadn’t given up so soon...

    It was the play of the century, and I missed it. Of course, I’ve seen the replay dozens and dozens of times. It has already become a highlight classic. However, I couldn’t get over the fact that I could have at least heard it happen “live,” if only I hadn’t given up so soon.

    It made me wonder how many of our personal defeats were the result of giving up with time on the clock. It made me wonder how many opportunities we’ve missed to be used by God simply because a situation seemed impossible. I began to think of times when I could have tried harder myself, but didn’t — times when I should have stayed in the battle longer, but quit.

    Jesus said, “He who stands firm to the end will be saved...the love of many will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:13) There may be times in your life when you feel like you’re losing the game. In fact, there may be times when you feel like you’ve already lost. Remember, there’s still time on the clock. Stay in the game. Don’t let your heart grow cold. Don’t give in to despair. God has promised victory to those who remain.

    Yogi Berra made famous the saying, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” The football game in Nashville illustrated it. It also helped me define a commitment to keep through the rest of my life: as long as there is time on the clock — as long as there breath in my body — I’m going stay in the game and play to win.