No Buzzer Beaters?

Throughout the past few days, we have witnessed many tight games and multiple surprising upsets...and have gone from 68 teams to the Sweet 16.   My bracket is officially done, as I picked my favorite team to win it all, and they got outplayed by South Carolina last night. I’m bummed, but there are still many great matchups in-store and the madness continues on Thursday. So far I've watched a lot of basketball in this tournament and must say I’m disappointed we haven’t seen a true buzzer-beater yet. The close games have been thrilling, but there is an added layer of drama and excitement when a team wins as a shot goes through the net with the clock hitting zero. I was so committed to not missing a classic buzzer-beater that I put myself in a position to watch all the games with the hope of witnessing something wild. I always made sure I was near a TV or computer when the games were winding down, just in case an epic shot was going to happen. Of course, I had to sacrifice some other things in order to be available for the possible memorable moment, but that’s what it takes as a true follower of March Madness. Should I consider giving up on the tournament at this point? After all, why should I continue sacrificing my time when there haven't been any amazing buzzer-beaters and my favorite team is already out? But the bottom line is...as a devoted follower of college basketball, I must continue to watch closely - even if the tournament doesn't go exactly the way I want it to. Simply put, I love March Madness and must stay true to viewing each game, clinging to all the great memories from the past...and knowing an unforgettable buzzer-beater is bound to happen. Following this tournament only requires a commitment for a few weeks, but as followers of Jesus, our dedication is on-going. Placing ourselves in a position to be used by God and to witness His amazing wonders, is a crucial sacrifice we must make. Even when we go through times when our circumstances aren't what we want them to be, we must continue to wait with expectancy and reflect on memories of His past faithfulness. As we remain sacrificially available to God, we know our situations will eventually turn out for good, and that we shouldn't give up when the “buzzer beaters” don't come in our timing. Today, as we surrender our lives to Jesus and closely follow Him, let’s hold on to Romans 12:1 (NLT) where Paul says, "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him." When we love God and recognize the incredible grace and mercy He’s shown us through Jesus, we willingly sacrifice our lives as worship...and wait with expectancy for how He’s using us to accomplish His will. I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I pray that my life would be a living sacrifice to You. I know you are good and faithful. I wait with expectancy to see Your will unfold. I pray I would remain committed when it seems I’ve been waiting too long, or when something doesn’t turn out how I thought it would. Thank you for Your grace and mercy. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.